Hollywood Derek Morgan
by seditionary
Summary: AU. Derek Morgan is a low-budget martial arts film star. Spencer Reid is a physics professor at Caltech. When they meet on the set of Derek's big-break movie, they fall in love-but, there are obstacles...
1. Derek and Penelope

**A/N: Hello! This is going to be just a fun, fluffy, summertime read, not much in the way of angst or suspense, just a bit of humor and romance. IT IS AU! There will be some mild sexy stuff down the line; and, many of the CM folks will appear as their AU selves. **

**In this first short chapter, we will meet Derek Morgan, a low-budget martial arts film star, and his agent, Penelope Garcia. Chapter 2 will introduce Prof. Reid!**

**Please review, buttercups.**

**xoxoxox**

In a tiny Glendale apartment a few miles outside Hollywood, Penelope Garcia sat at her desk, eyes intent on her computer screen. She was wearing lime-green flannel pajamas printed with yellow and purple kitty-cats, and her fuzzy pink bunny slippers were by her bare feet. She was working her way through emails, and the expression on her face morphed from disgust, to interest, to puzzlement. She finally settled on annoyance as she rapidly clicked her way through the cyber-mountain of correspondence. But, when Derek Morgan walked out of her bathroom, still damp from a shower and clad in only a towel, her frown dissolved into an appreciative grin.

"Hey there, hot stuff."

"Hey, babe. Man, that shower hit the spot. Now, where'd I leave my clothes?"

"I put them over there." She gestured to a table. "Didn't want the cat shedding on them." Her eyes returned to her computer screen.

"Thanks for letting me get cleaned up."

"No problemo, beefcake." She looked back at him, staring pointedly at his rippling abs. "I do like the side benefits of being your home-away-from-home."

"Ha ha." He grabbed the pile of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom again. When he emerged, he was dressed in slacks, a button-down shirt, and a sport jacket, and was wrapping a tie around his neck. He glanced in her direction.

"So, you going to give me a ride?"

"Sure. Just a sec." She did some rapid-fire typing then wiggled her toes into her slippers, stood up and straightened her pajamas. "Ok, let's go."

"You're going like that?" Derek asked in amusement.

"Yeah, why not? I'm just doing a drive-by Derek-delivery, right?"

"Yeah, but what if you have a wreck?"

Garcia made a phtt noise. "If I'm unconscious, what difference will it make? Otherwise, I'll just flirt with the EMTs-maybe I'll get a date out of the deal."

"Ok. Garcia always knows best."

"That's _right."_

"Except about stupid things like screen-writer appreciation luncheons. I hate stuff like this."

"Yeah, I know, I know. The only way I'd appreciate a screen-writer is if one of them ever came up with a new idea. But, trust me, angel, it's good to make nice."

"So you say. I don't know what the point is, though, it's not like any of these damn rubber-chicken affairs ever pay off."

Garcia leaned down to close her email program, but just before her mouse landed on the "x" key, a brand new message appeared. The sender's name sounded familiar, and vaguely important. She clicked the message open. She skimmed the content, and her eyes widened more and more, and her mouth dropped open. When she recovered sufficiently, she asked, "What was that you said, choco-hunk?"

Derek was standing in front of a mirror, ostensibly putting a knot in his necktie, but he was actually practicing his "interview face," in anticipation of getting caught by a reporter or two on his way into the luncheon. Garcia's absent tone caught his attention, and he glanced at her over his shoulder. "I said, it's not like these rubber-chicken affairs ever pay off-"

Garcia straightened and the look of wonder on her face reminded him of a child at Christmas. "I wouldn't be so sure. Guess who just emailed me."

"Who?"

"Ramesh Chavan."

"Never heard of him. Who is he?"

"He's a casting agent."

"Yeah, ok, so...?"

"Guess who he works for."

"Who?"

Garcia frowned. "How is that guessing?"

"Come on, baby girl, I'm going to be late. Who does this cat work for?"

Garcia's excitement level, which she had been consciously squashing, suddenly bubbled to the top, and she fairly squealed.

"Damon Steinberg!"

Derek paused in tying his tie and turned to stare at her. "What?"

"I said, Damon Steinberg!"

"You're kidding."

Garcia melted into giggles. "No! Apparently, he's sick of doing meaningful crap and wants to get back to making real movies-action thrillers with a sci-fi slant. And, he's got you in mind for the next one-as the leading man!"

"Leading man. You mean, like, the hero?"

"Exactly! None of that black-guy-who-gets-clobbered-in-the-third-scene BS for you! You'd get top billing!"

"Top? In a Damon Steinberg flick. You're trippin'."

"Negatory, my bronze celluloid god. Ramesh said Damon wants to take a meeting with us! Us, Derek, you and me! For a Damon-freakin'-Steinberg movie!"

"Garcia-damn, girl, this is the big time, isn't it? This is, like-_huge_. Damon-freakin'-Steinberg. Damn." Derek had a dazed look on his face. Garcia's grin broadened.

"Well, come on, Hollywood. Don't want to be late for your rubber chicken, do you?"

She grabbed her purse and bounced along, chattering at full speed as she led Derek out to her car. She had to remind him to buckle his seatbelt, then the two of them zipped off to Hollywood.

Well, Burbank.


	2. Spencer and Emily

**A/N: Hello again! In this chapter, we meet Dr. Spencer Reid and his longtime friend and fellow professor, Emily Prentiss. There are mild references to sexy times, both m/f and m/m, just FYI.**

**I would adore a review-from you, and you, and you... ;)**

**xoxoxoxox**

Chalk in hand, Dr. Spencer Reid stood at the blackboard in his Caltech classroom. He had just finished writing out a long and complicated formula, and was now looking expectantly at his students. There was dead silence.

"Oh, come on. No one? Not one of you, uh, future nuclear physicists and artificial intelligence designers can tell me what's wrong with this formula? Wow. And, here I was, counting on one of you to create the perfect animatronic girlfriend for me. What am I going to do now?"

Several of the girls giggled and a couple of the guys groaned.

Spencer sighed hopelessly. "All right. Make sure you've written it down correctly and get out of here. Tomorrow, I expect you all to be able to tell me exactly where the error lies and why. I don't care if you cheat, just don't, you know, come in here sounding like a tenth-grade remedial math class. It really deflates my ego."

Some members of the group were still frantically writing while the others stood up and gathered their things. Dr. Emily Prentiss was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and a bemused smile on her face. As the students began to leave, she walked over to Spencer, shaking her head.

"You're a cruel man, Dr. Reid. That must be why I like you."

"You like me because I'm still a sucker for those pretty brown eyes of yours and can always be counted on to buy you a cup of expensive coffee. Speaking of which, want to go get some?"

"Sure. I'm done for the day. Let's get out of here."

Spencer gave her a big smile as he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. "Good plan. So, what did you think of my lecture, Miss Former-TA-who-sleeps-with-her-students?"

"Shhh! As I've mentioned _many_ times before, you were the only one I ever slept with, and as for your lecture, I didn't understand a word that you said, and I don't think half your class did either. Oh, and that bit about the robot girlfriend? Cute."

"What?" He shrugged innocently.

"Come on, Spencer, when are you going to come out of the closet? I was the last girl you bedded, and that was, let's see-over three years ago?"

"Yes, and thanks for reminding me." Spencer sorrowfully raised his eyes to heaven as they strolled down the bustling Caltech hallway. "I don't know, Em, I think you ruined me for other women."

"Yeah, apparently I sent you right into the arms of the other... gender."

"Oh, whatever. You'll always be my best girl."

"I think I was your only girl..."

"You were my _first _girl, and I still entertain the possibility that there might be a second one. Someday."

"Maybe, if you got drunk enough. Get real, Spence. You like boys."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid my track record with either sex is pretty abysmal."

"I don't know, for a while, you seemed pretty happy with what's-his-name."

"Ethan? Oh, God, that was a long time ago."

"Yeah, what's the deal? It's not like you don't have plenty of attractive men making eyes at you all the time."

"I'm too picky, I guess." They came to an exit and headed toward the neighborhood coffee shop. "And, anyway, Ethan kind of broke my heart. I'm not ready for another soap opera just yet."

Emily glanced at her friend's face and saw vestiges of the old hurt in his eyes. "I thought you dumped _him?"_

"I did. I came home one day and found that he'd brought some work home with him, in the form of one of the football players he was supposed to be tutoring."

Emily stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "You never told me that!"

Spencer stopped as well, and shrugged. "You were out of the country, remember?" He turned, and they began walking again. "By the time you got back, I'd sort of repressed the whole thing. I was so... humiliated. Devastated. I just wanted to forget it ever happened." They reached the shop and he held the door open for her. She headed inside, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"And, that was what, two years ago?"

Spencer nodded as he pulled out a chair for her. "Yes, but, it isn't as if I've been completely idle since then. Don't forget, I cleverly followed up the Ethan fiasco with Toby-"

"Ah, yes, Toby-the-messed-up-drug-addict, I remember him well. He's in jail, now, right?"

"Uh-huh. It's a pity they didn't catch him before he sold my signed copy of Einstein's 'Relativity' for thirty dollars..."

"What? That bastard."

"I know! Then, there was that interesting period where I was trying to snag the head of the physics department, but just kept ending up at drunken faculty parties with some senior professor trying to get my pants down in a back bedroom..."

"I remember. Lots of frantic two o'clock phone calls-'Em, come get me!' Boy, do I miss those days."

Spencer grinned at her sarcasm. "Well, I've been reflecting on my unerring knack for finding the perfect mate, and I've officially decided to give up on the idea. In fact, I'm thinking of joining a monastery. One where you don't have to talk. That seems to be where I get into the most trouble. You want your usual?"

"Yes, thanks." When Spencer came back with their order, Emily returned to the conversation. "Well, you don't have to go for another serious relationship just yet. You've learned some stuff, you're a little more mature-what's wrong with playing the field until the right guy comes along? As I recall, you were pretty fond of good old-fashioned sex." Emily's eyes twinkled as she pursed her lips and blew a cooling breath into the hot coffee.

Spencer blinked. "Wow. Way to make me uncomfortable, Prentiss."

"I'm just recalling those hot nights in your dorm room-"

"Hey, now-"

"You, all sweaty and naked-"

"Don't go there-"

"Me, moaning and pleading-Yes, Spencer! Yes! Just like that! Oh, baby-"

"You do realize that I was a randy eighteen-year old virgin at the time. I've calmed down a little since then."

"Oh, what, and now you're a 22-year-old celibate monk-to-be? You've got to be kidding."

"Don't pick on me, I don't see you rushing home to some hottie from the Foreign Languages Department."

"In the first place, have you _seen_ the guys in the Foreign Languages Department? Trust me, hotties are a rare commodity. And, second, I'm a tad bit older than you are. In fact, I think I've reached my expiration date. I have to beg construction workers to make catcalls at me, now..."

"Nonsense, you're as gorgeous as ever. More so, actually."

"Oh, you better put up or shut up, Dr. Reid. It's been weeks-"

"It's been over a year for me, so I'd suggest we change the subject or I might have to ravish you in a stall in the Starbucks bathroom."

"Do you hear me saying no?"

They grinned at each other, then sipped their coffee.

"No, really, Em, I'm just-on hold, for some reason. The casual sex thing's not for me. I keep thinking I'll meet the right guy, settle down, and you know, be one of those happily-ever-after types, but... I'm dreaming, right?"

"I think, if you want to find Prince Charming, you have to actually make an effort to go out and meet him. When's the last time you had a vacation? Or, a day off, for that matter?"

"I like to work. Speaking of which, I have some news."

"Ah, I was wondering what all the mystery was about when you called last night. Go ahead-spill it."

"I'm going to be a tech advisor on another movie."

"That's news? You do that all the time."

"Yeah, but this is a big-budget deal. Uh, what's his name-oh, Damon Steinberg." Spencer stirred another packet of sugar into his coffee, then looked up to see Emily staring at him, momentarily dumb-struck.

_"Damon Steinberg? _Oh, my God-that's huge! He's, like, the biggest name in Hollywood, how'd you get a gig like that?"

"I was recommended because of my work on the M-2 project last year. Steinberg wants everything as authentic as possible. He doesn't want a bunch of fan-boys ripping the science on some sci-fi blog or other."

"Wow. That's incredible. You know, you finally might be able to afford a new car."

"I know, funny, isn't it? Being a geek might actually pay off."

"You're a cute little geek."

"You want another cup of coffee, don't you?"

Emily held up her cup and smiled winningly. "Please?"

Spencer rose and went to the counter for a refill.


	3. Derek Meets Dr Reid

**A/N: Hey, there! FYI, in this chapter, we meet Damon Steinberg's production assistant (a familiar name, as you will see) and Derek will meet Spencer! Hee.**

**Please review, angel-bunnies.**

xoxoxoxox

_Three months go by..._

It was early on a Tuesday morning. Derek had almost finished dressing when he heard a flurry of excitement out on the street below; he hastily pulled a shirt over his head, then hurried to peer out the window. He'd been told that the studio was sending a car for him, in honor of it being his first day on the set, but was surprised to see a black stretch limo parked in front of his gated apartment complex. Just then, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Morgan? Good morning. Your car is here."

"You mean, the limo? That's for me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Wow! I wasn't expecting that..."

"Oh, yes, sir. Compliments of Mr. Steinberg. He wants you to feel welcome."

"I'll be right out." Feeling a little giddy, Derek grabbed his jacket, headed out toward the imposing vehicle, and made his way through a clump of locals, who were attempting to peer in through the heavily tinted windows. The chauffeur was standing by, and he held open the rear passenger door for Derek.

A man was lounging in the back seat-Derek couldn't recall his name, but remembered having met him a few times before, and he knew that he was Damon Steinberg's production assistant. He shook Derek's hand and gestured at a tray filled with fruit, cheese and mini-muffins. He was carrying on a lively conversation via his Bluetooth device and puffing on an expensive cigar at the same time.

Derek nodded. "Morning."

The man smiled, pulled an open bottle of champagne out of a built-in bar and filled two glasses with the sparkling beverage. "Good morning, Mr. Morgan. Well, today's the big day-excited? How about a glass of champagne to celebrate? Here you go... What? Who said? Get me his name, I want to have a little chat with him."

It took Derek a moment to grasp that the latter part of the conversation was directed toward a voice in the man's ear. He hesitated, then responded to the earlier greeting.

"Uh, yeah, I'm kind of nervous, as a matter of fact. You got any tips for me?"

"Oh, you'll be fine! Damon has complete confidence in you, and he's wonderful to work with. Yes, fifteen. I said, fifteen-who's in charge, here, you or me? Just do it!"

Derek was beginning to wish he could rip the earpiece off the man's ear and throw it out the window. But, the conversation ended and his host gave Derek an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I know how rude this is. But, if I don't keep a leash on those characters in Supplies, they go crazy. This is my life, you know-I'm the guy who keeps all the balls in the air. Listen, they don't deliver a box of toilet paper without me knowing about it-glamorous Hollywood movie industry, huh?" He gave a self-deprecating chuckle and took a long drag on his cigar.

Derek smiled and nodded. He was too preoccupied with thoughts of the day ahead to want to talk, but he gamely sipped his champagne and chatted until they pulled up to the massive studio gates; credentials were inspected, and the vehicle was waved through. Derek felt a rush of excitement. Even though he'd made over twenty films, he'd never once been inside a big-name lot.

The car rolled slowly into the compound and snaked around throngs of people in all sorts of costumes and states of dress, including what appeared to be a giant hedgehog holding a bottle of soda. They drove on to a particular sound stage and parked. The chauffeur came around to Derek's side and opened the door for him; his companion had already popped out onto the sidewalk and was swaggering around toward the entrance. He was again engaged in a heated phone call.

"No! No, no, no-I said no. Tell him Jason Gideon's here-I'll take care of it." He abruptly ended the call, shook his head, and motioned Derek to his side. "It never stops. I can't believe the schmucks we've got on the location crew. Can you believe they want to film the snow scenes in New Zealand? Like Canada's not lying around doing nothing, three hours away? Sheesh, I'm going to have a field day with this loser..."

Gideon held the door for Derek, then beckoned for him to follow. He strode purposefully through a crowd gathered around a catering table and on toward an office area. On the way, Gideon stopped and introduced Derek to certain select people. Each time, Derek's name was met with excitement-apparently, Derek Morgan, the martial arts movie star, was something of an idol among the lighting and camera crew members. Gideon waved across the room at a stocky man wearing a backwards-facing ball cap and a Metallica t-shirt, then pointed at Derek. The man stopped what he was doing and bounded over to greet them.

"Hey..."

"Sid, I'd like you to meet our newest star-Derek Morgan, this is Sid McCosh. He heads up the camera crew." The man reached out, grabbed Derek's hand, and pumped it up and down enthusiastically.

"Derek Morgan. Wow, I'm honored to shake your hand." Just then, another fellow dressed in similar fashion sprinted over.

"He's here? Derek Morgan? Aw, man, I'm, like, your biggest fan-"

A third man was right behind him. "Hey, there he is! Derek Morgan!" Soon, they were gathered around Derek, eagerly shaking his hand, patting him on the back, and telling him how much they admired him and his movies. Derek easily greeted and bantered with them. Sid had a worshipful expression on his face.

"Oh, jeeze, 'Enter the Raptor-' that final scene, it just blew me away."

"Aw, you liked that bit? You didn't think it was too over-the-top?" Derek appeared to be awaiting the cameraman's thoughts, as if nothing else in the world were of more concern to him than this guy's opinion. The man shook his head vehemently.

"Are you kidding? No way, man, it was perfect. When you came back to life, sprang up and cut that guy in half, vertically-_with his own sword_-I, like, freakin' cried-"

The lighting director gave a nod of agreement. "Yeah, and the acting-the emotions that played over your face when you reached in and ripped the guts right out of that guy's stomach and waved them in front of his eyes... so subtle, yet so powerful. God, that was beautiful."

The other burly crew member, obviously holding back tears, emphatically jabbed a finger in the air. "That was one of the most amazing moments in film, I'm not kidding. I _love_ you, man-"

Gideon stood aside, watching with a grin. He smelled blockbuster. _Damon Steinberg really is a genius. Who'd of thought this small-timer could carry a Steinberg picture? Well, we'll see..._ After another crowd of crew members, some of them over-eager females, came to meet the star, Gideon carefully stepped in, took hold of Derek's arm, and began gently disengaging him from the throng.

"Sorry, kids, this is Mr. Morgan's very first day on the set, don't want to wear him out, do you? You'll all have the opportunity to get to know him over the coming months. Come on, Derek, we still have quite a few people I want you to meet-"

Derek kept pace with Gideon, and he was soon introduced to several other key behind-the-scenes people, including one of the producers, and a just-this-side-of-emaciated, yet busty, redhead who turned out to be the female lead, Amber Henley.

"So, this is Derek Morgan! Wow, you're really tall-a lot of those tough guys turn out to be little shrimpy things, but not you-" Amber leaned forward, touching Derek with her unnaturally perky breasts. "...you're even more magnificent in person than you are on the screen." She put a hand on each of his well-developed biceps and squeezed.

"Uh-well, thanks." Derek smiled and nodded, trying to hit a balance between genial and not-too-encouraging, as it seemed clear that the woman had intentions to add Derek to her lengthy list of male co-stars with whom she'd had an affair. Gideon grinned approvingly, then hustled Derek away.

"Sorry, but we're going to have to meet with Damon in a few minutes. Time enough for the ladies later on, my man."

"Sure. So, I'll, uh-be seeing a lot of her, I imagine?"

"Certainly. Dinners, openings, awards shows, daytime TV... Believe me, by the time the PR gals get through with the two of you, you'll have a secret wedding in the works and a love-child on the way."

Morgan stifled a wince. He was tired of juggling women. Penelope kept his work-related social calendar full, and more than once, he'd called his date for the evening by the wrong name. He was reflecting on some sort of mnemonic device to help him remember "Amber," when a tall, skinny young man came ambling along with a script in his hand and a look of intense concentration on his face.

He was wearing a sweater vest, tie, and a worn corduroy jacket. He stopped at a computer station and spoke to one of the techs seated behind a desk; something about the way the kid held himself caught Derek's eye. Lanky, with long hair, geezer glasses... He was cute, in an awkward sort of way. Totally out of place, yet completely at ease, he looked as if he were preparing to hand out a stack of red-penciled research papers. Derek tried to look away, to follow Gideon's finger as he pointed to various landmarks around the soundstage, but his attention kept going back to the kid.

Suddenly, the young man's face transformed into an expression usually seen only on fireworks-wielding eight-year-olds, all huge grin and wide eyes. His hands flew excitedly as he spoke, as if whatever he was looking at on the computer screen was the most fascinating discovery, ever. Derek liked that; somewhere in the back of his mind came the thought, "I wish he'd look at me like that."

"Hey, Gideon-who's the geek?" Derek asked. He tipped his head toward the boy.

"Huh? Oh, that's what's-his-name, let's see..." He consulted a clipboard. "...oh, yeah, Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Doctor, huh? What, he's in charge of band-aids and aspirin?"

"No, no, he's a, you know, college professor. He's our science advisor. Damon wants things accurate, or at least plausible. He teaches physics at Caltech."

"Kid doesn't look old enough to be driving a car, let alone teaching..."

"Yeah, the freak's a genius or something." Gideon gazed toward a far corner of the soundstage. "Ok. Now, get ready to turn on the charm-we're off to meet the makeup and wardrobe ladies, and you really want them to fall in love with you. They're an actor's best friend, you know."

Gideon started walking, but Derek caught his arm. "Wait-aren't you going to introduce me to Dr. Reid?"

Gideon glanced at the young man, then back at Derek. "Why? You won't be working with him directly at all."

"Yeah, but-I like to make a good impression on everyone involved in my projects. Makes for good publicity-you never know who's going to get a phone call from the Enquirer."

Gideon pursed his lips and nodded begrudgingly. Morgan had managed to avoid most of the scandal rags, other than the occasional publicity piece featuring him and some hot up-and-coming young actress. It was good strategy. "Okay-Dr. Reid! Can I have a moment?"

Spencer looked up at the production assistant. "Sure." He excused himself, then strode over to the two men. "Yes?"

"Dr. Reid-this is Derek Morgan." He spoke as if he were bestowing a gift upon the boy, but Gideon had already lost interest in the proceedings; he figured that there would be at least five minutes of Reid gushing over Derek; that gave him five precious minutes for thinking about where to take Derek for lunch that would provide maximum PR exposure and a minimum wait time for a table-he could just make a couple of phone calls, and...

"Hello, Mr. Morgan. Hey, are you with the camera crew? Because, I really think there's going to be a problem with the way the exterior shots are set up. If the macro-planet's atmosphere is actually supposed to be heavier than the earth's, then we should really think about- "

"Camera crew?" Derek shot a scornful look at the boy. "No, man, I'm not with the camera crew."

Gideon's attention was suddenly torn from his musings to the very real about-to-be crisis before him. _God. _It had never occurred to him that the tech geek wouldn't know who Derek Morgan was. All he needed was for his brand-new star to spend thirty minutes sulking in his trailer, all because some dork from the outside didn't recognize him. He cleared his throat.

"Dr. Reid, Derek is our star. Our leading man? He's very well known for his stunning expertise in the martial arts film genre. Surely, you've seen his work...?"

Spencer frowned thoughtfully. "Uh... no, I don't think I have. Sorry."

Derek stared in consternation. "Aw, hey, come on. 'The Bronze Panther?' 'Hell's Vermin?' You never saw those?"

"Um, no." Spencer shrugged regretfully.

Gideon was becoming increasingly agitated. He tried to catch Spencer's eye. "Now, think, Dr. Reid. Surely you've seen 'Enter the Raptor,' one of the highest grossing action flicks _ever. _You _have _seen that one, haven't you?" He gave Spencer a meaningful glare, but it was lost on the young man.

"No, I'm sorry, I-"

"How about 'Apocalypse Angels?'" Derek demanded. "Everyone's seen that one!"

Light dawned in Spencer's eyes. "Oh, right! That was on Pay-Per-View the other night." He nodded knowingly.

"Well? Did you like it?" Derek prompted.

"Oh, I didn't purchase it. Dystopian end-of-the-world road sagas aren't exactly my cup of tea." Noticing Derek's bewildered frown, he added, "Although, I'm sure that's a good one." Spencer spoke kindly, but managed to sound condescending nonetheless. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, then cast a nearsighted glance at each of the two men.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I really need to get back to work." He replaced his glasses, but not before Derek had had a heart-stopping glimpse of long lashes and dark, gentle eyes. "It was nice to meet you, Eric, and good luck. I'm, uh... looking forward to seeing your performance." He smiled and nodded, then turned to go back to the computer area. Derek stared after him.

_"Derek." _

Spencer turned, looking uncertain.

"Excuse me?"

"The name's Derek. Derek Morgan."

The kid gave a sheepish grimace. "Oh, sorry! I'm, uh, really bad with names-okay, Derek, I'll see you around, all right?" He gave a cheery wave and loped back to the computer area without another glance in Derek's direction.

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Oh, man. Hey, listen, don't pay any attention to that putz-he probably lives with his mother and collects stamps." He tried to assess the level of damage the young man had just created. Derek was standing with his hands on his hips, his lips curled in a sneer; but, knowing a thing or two about handling actors, Gideon thought he could distract him if they moved quickly enough. He went into a litany of what he assured Derek was to be his extremely bright future as Damon Steinberg's latest discovery, and he hustled him off in the direction of the dressing area.

Derek tried hard to continue to look annoyed, but the truth was that he was completely intrigued.

It had been a very long time since he'd met someone who had never heard of him.

xoxoxoxox

**A/N: Next time, Derek makes a date with young Dr. Reid...**


	4. Dinner?

_Three days later..._

With the mid-afternoon heat came union-mandated break time. Derek found a football and tossed it around with several members of the crew, then excused himself to go to his trailer; but, instead, he quietly went in search of Dr. Reid. Gideon was right-he'd had absolutely no opportunity to work with the boy at all. But, he'd seen him around the set, infuriatingly oblivious to Derek's glances, and the attraction was just getting stronger. It was clear that he was going to have to initiate contact himself, somehow.

He circled the backlot of the soundstage, and finally found Spencer sitting in the shade provided by a mocked-up spaceship. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, with his back supported by a piece of pre-exploded fusilage. He had a cup of coffee in one hand, a thick book in the other, and he was frowning as his eyes zipped back and forth across the pages. Derek took a moment to enjoy the sight, then cleared his throat. The boy looked up with a squint, reminding Derek of a small animal sticking its head out of a burrow.

"Yes?"

"Heads up." He threw the football in a perfect arc that should have been an easy catch; but, instead, it caused the doctor to attempt to shield himself from what he apparently regarded as a dangerous projectile, and he spilled coffee all over the front of his sweater vest in the process.

"Oh... Damn it!" He protectively held his book out of the way and set the cup on the ground, then tried to brush away the splashes of coffee with one hand. Derek grabbed a towel off a nearby janitor cart, hurried over and knelt down to help.

"Aw, jeeze, man, I'm sorry. I thought you'd catch it."

Spencer stared at him. "Why in God's name would you think that?"

"Uh... Don't know, I guess I thought-look, I'm really sorry, let me get you another cup."

"No, no, that's all right, don't worry about it." Spencer gave up trying to deal with the mess himself, and allowed Derek to swab the towel over his chest. He rather wished the handsome actor would go away; close proximity to so much testosterone was making him anxious. He was already beginning to have flashbacks to high school. But, Derek was being really nice...

"Listen, I've got clothes in my trailer. Come on, I'll get you a fresh shirt."

"No, it's fine." Spencer struggled out of his jacket, then pulled his vest over his head. The shirt under it was clean. "There, no harm done." He smiled reassuringly.

Derek examined the jacket and found coffee had splashed on it, too.

"Here, at least let me get your jacket cleaned. They can do it right here on the set."

"Well... All right, thanks. But, it's really no big deal. I spill coffee on myself all the time." He laughed ruefully. Derek smiled at him, and gestured toward his book.

"What're you reading?"

Spencer showed Derek the cover. It pictured two medieval knights holding up swords, with a title in a foreign language across the top. "It's about Renaissance sword fighting techniques."

Derek frowned. "What language is that?"

"Italian. It's fascinating stuff. I hadn't really been interested in martial arts until I got involved in this project, but the history behind it is amazing. Have you done much research on it?"

Derek sank down and sat next to Spencer, then pulled his knees up to his chest. "I have black belts in karate and tae kwon do, I'm proficient in jiu jitsu, aikido and kung fu. Really don't care about the history lesson."

"Well, you should. Understanding where a discipline came from can help you improve your technique-"

"I could break you in two, kid."

Spencer glanced at the sculpted muscles revealed by Derek's sleeveless t-shirt, and shifted uncomfortably. "Uh... I'm aware of that. But, that's not the point. The point is-"

"The point is, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner with me after we wrap up for the day."

Spencer froze. He understood the words, but they made no sense to him. He did a rapid recap of his last few moments of interaction with Derek Morgan-spilled coffee, towel, book discussion-and found absolutely no basis for a dinner invitation.

Maybe he was hallucinating? Could sexual deprivation do that to a person, send a vision of a handsome leading man with thick, flex-y muscles flooding into one's brain, like an oasis appearing before a dehydrated desert-dweller? He gave Derek a sideways glance.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Derek sighed. "Dinner? With me? After work?"

"Uh..." Spencer bit his lip. Okay-he was for real, all right. Which begged the question-_what would someone like Derek Morgan want with someone like him? _

As if reading his thoughts, Derek added, "You're a weird guy, Reid. I like that. And, I like it that you've never seen any of my movies. I'm sick of people kissing up to me, and I'd appreciate an evening of conversation that had nothing to do with how great I am. What do you say?"

The words, "Sure, sounds great," nearly leapt from Spencer's lips, but he caught himself. No, no, no, this wasn't as simple as that. He'd seen the girls dripping off of Derek's broad shoulders, and the way he looked and talked to them-a straight guy, if he'd ever seen one. He did _not _need to develop a hopeless, never-to-be-requited crush on this man. Which, he could imagine himself doing. Easily.

On the other hand, what the heck was a man like Morgan doing, offering to waste an evening with a geek like him? His explanation was plausible enough, but... If this was Derek Morgan's sideways method of asking him out on a date, he'd expect sex. Like, immediately. Actors were like that, or so he'd been told. Okay, his mother had told him that, but he'd found that she was usually right about such things. And, he wasn't going to hop into bed with someone he'd just met, no matter how handsome his face or perfectly-defined his abs might be.

So, either way, he should save himself some misery and pass on the invitation. As he'd told Prentiss, he wasn't ready for the emotional rollercoaster bit, not just yet. The wounds from Ethan's betrayal were still too fresh. He pulled himself more upright and spoke as determinedly as he could.

"Uh-that's really tempting, but..."

"But, what?"

"I've got a lot of work to catch up on. I need to re-annotate the script, grade some papers, plus, I've got to get up early for class tomorrow, and-"

"Reid-it's just dinner. You do eat, don't you?"

Spencer swallowed. Oh, God. If this really was just a friendly invitation, he was on the verge of offending the man. He gave Derek another glance and saw what he thought was possibly an "I'd like to take you out behind the nearest trailer and beat the crap out of you" look simmering behind the dark, intense eyes. Although, it could-possibly-have been an "I'd like to take you inside the nearest trailer and do things to you that'll make your toes curl" look, but, logically speaking, he suspected it was more likely to be the former. And, he didn't want to make an enemy of the damn leading man so early in the production.

And, anyway, regardless of whatever was or was not going on below the surface, Derek was right-it was just dinner. He was getting all worked up for nothing. He gave a hesitant nod.

"Okay. Just dinner. Sounds good." After a moment's further consideration, he brightened. "And, yeah, I definitely don't think you're great!" Derek raised an eyebrow, and Spencer's eyes widened. "Uh-I just meant, at this time, I have no opinion regarding your greatness. Or lack thereof. Although, you seem... nice." He suddenly clutched his book to his chest and Derek noticed that a sheen of sweat had developed on the young man's forehead.

After a moment of silence, Derek chuckled. "Well, good. I think... Uh, meet me by the side door of Studio One, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great. Later, kid." Derek fluidly rose to his feet, raised a hand in farewell, then headed to his trailer where he could mull over his meeting with Dr. Reid in peace. Spencer's discomfort was bewildering to him. He was used to people-both men and women-dropping their inhibitions, as well as their pants, at the flash of one of his smiles. He genuinely had no idea how to court someone. It was like being handed a beautifully-wrapped package, only to be told that he wasn't allowed to open it yet.

But, he really wanted to. Because, he had a feeling that, once he got past the paper and opened up the box, he'd find something really amazing inside.

All he had to do was figure out how to untie the ribbon...


	5. About the Past, and the Future

**Hello! This chapter, we learn a little about both Spencer and Derek's pasts, and Derek has some concerns for the future. Reviews would be sooo cool!**

**Love,**

**Seds**

xoxoxoxox

Spencer sidled through the rear exit door of Studio One and cast out a nervous glance, first to one side, then to the other. He'd been lost in the happy world of astrophysics for most of the afternoon, but in the last five minutes had managed to work himself into a state of fidgety hyperactivity at the thought of spending an entire evening seated across the table from Derek Morgan.

He looked at his watch, and was just cheering himself with the thought that he was probably going to be stood up, when a sleek black convertible eased around the corner. Derek was at the wheel; he grinned, leaned across the seat, and pushed the passenger-side door open. "Hop in, kid."

In spite of the annoying little voice in the back of Spencer's mind that whispered, "You are _so_ screwed," he stepped into the car. Derek revved up the engine-smooth as silk, but powerful-and pulled around the corner, taking them to the studio gates, then out onto the street. Soon, he had them cruising down Sunset Boulevard, heading for West Hollywood. Spencer cleared his throat.

"Nice car."

"Huh?"

"I said, nice car!" Spencer gestured at the vehicle. Derek nodded.

"Thanks! One of my many weaknesses." He flashed an impish smile at his passenger and Spencer sighed hopelessly.

Well, he was gorgeous. Charming. And, sweet, in a brawny, karate-chopping, football-flinging sort of way. He, Spencer, knew he should not be in this man's car, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. No, he should be at home, in his snug-if-run-down little apartment, blissfully immersed in professor-ly duties, with a nice, strong cup of coffee in his hand and a strengthening Verdi opera playing in the background. He should _not_ be racing around in a sporty low-slung muscle car, his hair whipping around his ears, the lights and sounds and smells of the Boulevard dazzling his senses, with a man who was definitely going to break his heart, one way or another.

But...

_Sometimes the waves of inevitability wash over you, and there's no point in struggling._

Was there even a chance that this was a date? He started to come right out and ask, but a glance at the steely muscles gave him pause; if he was wrong, that "break you in two" comment could become all too literal. Instead, he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Oh, my man! I'm taking you for the best steak dinner in town."

"Really? Not worried about cholesterol, I guess."

"Hey, I'm sick of those nouvelle-cuisine joints people keep dragging me to. They put a little sprig of something green on one side of the plate, a few shreds of meat on the other, and drizzle some kind of sauce in between and take forty-five dollars off you for the privilege. In my book, that's a bunch of BS."

"Hm. I wouldn't know. I don't eat at those places."

Derek glanced at the boy's skinny frame. "Doesn't look to me like you eat much of anything at all. Don't worry, a nice sirloin and loaded baked potato'll fix you right up. Hell, in honor of Damon Steinberg's brilliant choice of casting for male lead, I'll even spring for a slice of lemon meringue pie to top it all off, what do you think about that?" He threw a cocky smirk and a wink at the kid as he fluidly zipped through a poky line of traffic.

Spencer couldn't help but laugh at Derek's exuberance. "That actually sounds kind of awesome. Ok, you're in charge of ordering. You obviously know what you're doing."

"Oh, I know my way around a nice piece of meat, believe me." Derek glanced over at Spencer. His smirk had deepened. Spencer suddenly felt a little rush of excitement, although, since they were now stopped at a light and two scantily-clad young women were crossing in front of them, he wasn't sure exactly what gender of meat Derek was referring to. Still, it was promising. He raised an eyebrow.

"Um-is that another weakness of yours?"

"You could say that. Cars, food... sex. All hard to say no to, when the circumstances are right. How about you-you look like you keep a pretty tight rein on yourself. What are your weaknesses, Dr. Reid?"

"Uh... Besides books? I don't know. I haven't had many opportunities to test myself. Temptation tends to avoid me, usually."

"Well, that's... a shame. Have to see what we can do about that." Derek playfully tousled Spencer's hair, and he found himself relaxing at his touch, sinking into the cushy leather seat as if he belonged there. They bantered back and forth for a while, and before he knew it, they were pulling into the restaurant's parking lot.

xoxoxox

Once they were seated, Derek picked up the conversation from where they had left it hanging back in the car. He fixed a knowing look on Spencer and said, "So-I bet you've got lots of cute little co-eds throwing themselves at you, don't you, Professor?"

"Huh? Oh, sometimes. But, I-I try to maintain a professional manner with my students." Spencer looked hopefully toward the nearest waitperson to rescue him from this line of questioning_. _

"Uh-huh. So, you seeing anyone?"

"Uh... no. Not right now." He could hear Emily's voice-_"When are you going to come out of the closet, Spencer?"_ and, for a moment, he wished he had powers of teleportation so he could be back in his apartment, where the only difficult question he'd face was where to call for take-out, and the only explanation he'd have to come up with was why he was, once again, late with the rent. Fortunately, a waiter arrived with menus. He filled their water glasses, took their drink orders, and, mercifully, Derek was distracted by the many pages of dinner options.

Derek began reading some of the more uncommon choices aloud-"Hey, you ever eat quail? How about buffalo? One of these days, man..." Then, he noticed Spencer wasn't paying attention. He watched for a moment as the kid nervously looked around and fidgeted. "What's wrong, pretty boy?"

Spencer snapped his head forward and stared at Derek. "'Pretty boy?' What kind of a thing is that to call a person?"

Derek shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't mean anything by it. But, you are, you know. You got a good-looking face. You could be a model or something."

"I could?" Spencer looked mildly shocked.

"Yeah, even with those crazy damn glasses."

"Oh, well, I don't usually wear these during the day. Normally, I wear contacts, but I got a scratch on my eye and I have to use drops, and the optometrist said I should-"

"I like the glasses."

"Oh." Spencer picked up his water glass and took a long drink. Derek Morgan was making his stomach clench up the way it did when he was twelve, the one time he rode a roller coaster. At this point, he was thoroughly confused, and he really didn't know what to say to him. He put down the glass and met Derek's gaze. He couldn't take the ambiguity anymore.

"I-I don't know if you realize this, but-I'm gay." The words blurted out, and somewhere, he knew Emily was cheering him on. He held his breath, waiting for Derek's response.

"Yeah?" Derek's eyes danced with amusement. "Well, I wasn't sure, but-I had hopes..."

A pleased look passed over Spencer's face. "Really?"

Derek licked his lips, then leaned forward and spoke in a quiet voice. "Look, I play on both teams, okay? But, I got to keep it on the down-low, you know? A guy like me has to do the tough-guy bit all the time, or the box office cred disappears, know what I'm saying?"

Spencer nodded. He understood very well. "So... tonight. Is this a, you know-a date?" He anxiously watched Derek's face. Derek smiled gently.

"It is, if you want it to be. I... wasn't sure we were on the same page, but, sounds like we are, right?"

"Well, I-" Just then, the waiter brought their drinks and asked for their food orders. When he left, Spencer resumed speaking.

"Just so you know, I'm not looking for a relationship or anything."

"Oh, don't worry, kid, neither am I." Derek chuckled, and his smooth voice reminded Spencer of a tuxedoed crooner in a sleazy lounge.

Spencer's eyes widened. "But, I'm not looking for anything, uh, casual, either. I mean, you know. I don't just... I'm not... uh..."

Derek laid a hand over his and pinned him with a frank stare. "What _are_ you looking for, Dr. Reid?"

Spencer stared at their hands, Derek's dark and confident, resting so easily on his thin, uncertain one. He hastily pulled back and grimaced. "I don't know. Nothing, really, not right now. I guess." He looked around for the waiter, but he was nowhere in sight.

Again, the bewildered feeling came over Derek. The kid was so... _odd_. Like a cat stuck in a tree, desperate to come down but unwilling to let you touch it. He decided he'd better back off, give him some breathing room. He smoothed the napkin in his lap, then folded his hands on the table. "So-what do you like to do for fun?"

Relieved, Spencer seized upon the inquiry as if it were an easy test question. "Oh, well now, let's see-you know that I teach, I love that. I write. I work in the research department at school a couple of days a week, that's really fascinating. I have a couple of projects going that involve a lot of timed experiments with bio-nucleonics, I'm pretty excited about that, and-"

"Spencer." Derek's tone was one of infinite patience.

"Yes?"

"Do you ever just... take a walk? Ride a bike? Go roller skating? Play the guitar? Something like that?"

"Uh..."

Derek frowned suddenly. "You don't collect stamps, do you?"

Spencer frowned as well. "No-that would be incredibly boring. No, for recreation, I listen to music. I play chess. Oh, and I do magic."

"Magic? Really?" Derek laughed, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good."

"I bet you are. What about books? You said they were a weakness, what do you like to read? For fun, I mean."

"I regard most reading as 'fun,' but... I guess you mean for escape, right? I read a lot of science fiction."

"There's a shock. Any particular authors?"

"Oh, you know-Isaac Asimov, Philip Jose Farmer, Harlan Ellison... oh, and my favorite, Meredith Sweets." He grinned rather mischievously.

"Meredith Sweets? I'm not familiar with her."

"She only published three books, but the third one was made into a movie, which became something of a cult classic. It was called, 'From Earth to Oblivion," ever heard of it?"

Derek thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah-yeah, I've seen that. It came on the Late, Late, Late Show once... Gave me nightmares."

"Meredith Sweet is an evil genius. She has a real talent for writing about the everyday terrors we all have and making them seem real." Spencer put a stack of sugar packets in order, then added, "She's also my mother."

"What?"

Spencer laughed. "Yeah, her real name's Diana Reid. She and my dad live in Las Vegas. She used to be a Professor of Medieval Studies at UCLA, and she wrote sci-fi short stories for her own amusement. Then, my dad persuaded her to send some off to a writing journal, and they got published. She followed up with a full-length novel, sent it off to a publisher, and it was kind of a hit. So, she wrote a sequel, then another, and then they made it into a movie." Spencer shrugged and looked up as the waiter brought a basket of bread to their table. He tore off a piece and began buttering it.

Derek was staring at the ceiling, tapping a finger on his chin. "Yeah-now that you say that, I remember reading a script not too long ago-they were talking about doing a re-make, but it never got off the ground. Wonder why?"

"Mom won't release the rights. She said the original drove her to madness, and she'll be damned if she ever goes through anything like that again. She says they can knock themselves out after she's dead." Spencer grinned, but Derek thought he detected a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"What do you mean, it drove her to madness?"

Spencer chewed silently for a moment, swallowed, and sighed. "Well-Mom's always been a little agoraphobic. All her life, she's preferred to just stay at home, not to go out in crowds and such. But, when she started getting published, there were so many demands and expectations thrust upon her. She had to do a book tour for the second one, and she hated it. Then, they started pressuring her for a third, called it an 'epic saga' and she went ahead and wrote it, but swore she wouldn't do any publicity for it.

"Then, they got her to agree to the movie deal. It was quite a bit of money, and the residuals meant she'd never have to work outside the home again, so she agreed. But, she ended up in Hollywood, working on the screenplay, and... To put it simply, she had a nervous breakdown. She made my father move us out to Vegas when I was three, and... basically, she never leaves the house, other than for doctor visits and such."

"Wow. I'm sorry, man."

"It could be worse. Of course, it's hard on my dad..."

"What does he do?"

"He deals in electronics. He travels a lot, sometimes he's gone for weeks. Luckily, they can afford to pay someone to do the errands and things, since my mom doesn't get out. But... I think he'd like to take her with him, if he could. I know he gets lonely."

Derek nodded. "Yeah... I remember when my dad died-my mom had a hard time of it. Money was tight, and I have two sisters. She had a lot to contend with, being on her own so suddenly."

"I'm sorry. What happened to your dad?" Spencer asked gently.

"He was shot in the line of duty."

"Was he in the military, or-"

"He was a cop. And, man, did I ever want to be just like him. Didn't quite work out that way, though." Derek laughed dryly.

Spencer smiled. "You wanted to be an officer?"

"I _was _an officer. I walked a beat for a few months, then got promoted and did some undercover work. Then, they got me to do some self-defense training films, because of my background in martial arts. One thing led to another, and I ended up doing a few karate flicks, real low-budget stuff, but, hey, the money wasn't bad, and it was fun. Then, I got hired to be a consultant for a guy doing a legit film in Hollywood.

"I thought maybe I'd take a year or two off from the force, make a nice little nest-egg, then go back to Chicago, but-I met this girl. Penelope Garcia. She was a trip, but really great, you know? She told me she'd turn me into a movie star. Can you believe that? Just... out of nowhere, she comes into my life and turns everything on its ear. Before I knew it, I had a contract for a five-picture deal, and the money started rolling in. Still, small-time stuff compared to something put out by United Artists or Columbia or something, but I was getting a name for myself. Then, bam! This deal with Steinberg came along, and-here I am."

"Wow. That's a real American success story. Ever think about going back to law enforcement?"

"Used to, all the time. But, I couldn't, now. Hard to go undercover when they've made an action figure out of you."

Spencer laughed. "I imagine that's true. Well... maybe, someday, you can do something behind the scenes. FBI, CIA, something like that."

"Yeah, sure." Suddenly, the easy grin disappeared and a troubled look came over Derek's face. "Garcia tells me that, after this flick is released, I won't be able to walk down the street without being mobbed. Don't know if I like the sound of that."

"Maybe you should try to get out of it."

"Too late for that, pretty boy. I signed a contract." He shrugged and his brash cheerfulness quickly returned when their food order showed up and the two started on their meal. But, Spencer was quiet, lost in his thoughts-of his mom, of what Hollywood had done to her, and of what it would almost certainly do to Derek Morgan.

Derek, however, was pondering how to get Spencer Reid to laugh again. When the kid's eyes crinkled closed, when his dimples deepened, and all of his hesitation seemed to fall away, he made Derek think about kissing, and about warm bodies pressed against each other under clean sheets, and the taste and smell and feel of a new lover, and he really hoped the kid would stop being afraid, because he would never hurt him, would never want to take that laughter away, ever.

And, he really hoped that he could figure out how to convince him of that-and soon-because, somehow, he had a feeling that they were on a tight time schedule. That Hollywood had a silky hand on his throat, and its caressing fingers were beginning to cut off his air, leaving him with less and less of a voice to explain himself to the sweet young professor, who was gingerly cutting into a twelve-ounce bloody-rare sirloin steak and looking up at him, trying to smile.


	6. Kisses

After dinner, Derek drove Spencer back to the studio to get his car. They pulled into the parking lot next to Spencer's ancient Volvo, and Derek turned off the engine. The lot was brightly lit, thwarting his hope of getting a goodnight kiss in the open car.

Spencer smiled broadly and put his hand on the door handle. "Well, this was really fun. Thank you-I enjoyed dinner, the conversation... everything!"

"Well, hang on, there. Night doesn't have to be over. Why don't you follow me to my place-we can have a nightcap, put on a movie...?" Derek shrugged, his face the picture of innocence.

Spencer felt what was now becoming a familiar clench in his stomach. "Oh, uh-no, I really need to get home. Class tomorrow, grading papers, all that, you know how it is."

Derek pursed his lips. This was getting ridiculous. He'd been on good behavior all evening-hadn't he proved that he wasn't some kind of sex-crazed lunatic wanting to take advantage of the poor little innocent professor? What was he going to have to do to gain his trust? "Come on, man. We had a good time together, didn't we? What're you so afraid of? Come on back to my place, let's see what happens."

Spencer sighed. "I have a feeling that I know what it is you _want _to have happen, and I'm sorry, but it's just not going to. And, I really do need to get home." He pushed his door open and began to get out of the car. Derek laid a hand on his arm.

"Hey! Come on, what am I, the bad guy all of a sudden? I like you, Spencer, what's wrong with wanting to get close to you?"

"Nothing, but I-I'm trying to make you understand-I'm not going to hop into bed with someone I've only known for three days."

"I got news for you, kid, I've had people hop into bed with me after a three minute elevator ride."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe you should be spending your evenings riding up and down in the Bank Tower building instead of wasting your time with me."

"Aw, now, I didn't mean it like that-"

"Goodnight, Derek." Spencer got out of the car.

"Hey, come on..." Derek noticed his own voice had taken on a pleading tone. _Pleading? Derek Morgan? _He'd hardly ever had to do more than quirk an eyebrow to get laid, yet, here he was, acting like a pimply teenager on his first date with the prom queen. What was this kid doing to him? He didn't need this. "Fine! Go home to your damn research papers and history books, what the hell do I care?" He raised his lip in a disgusted sneer to cover his disappointment and clamped his hands on the steering wheel.

Spencer looked back at him. Derek's face looked like a thundercloud. Spencer suppressed a smile-had he really had this affect on the handsome actor? Had his tiny refusal really caused such acute distress in a man that he, Spencer, would never have thought of as being interested in giving him the time of day? He suddenly felt a little giddy. He leaned on the side of the sports car.

"Look-I like you, okay? The fact that I'm not ready to sleep with you isn't an insult. You're a gorgeous, sexy man, and of course I feel an attraction to you. But, I need to get to know you a little better, and I need... I need to deal with my own issues before I let myself get totally distracted by someone who is clearly way out of my league, romantically speaking."

Derek gave him a puzzled look. "'Out of your league?' What do you mean?"

"My mother warned me about actors-'Not long-term relationship types, dear,' that's what she always said. And, I imagine she's correct. She usually is, where people are concerned. So, I have to either avoid you, or I need to get to a place where I can enjoy a relationship that's of the moment, that I know isn't destined to last. And, I'm... just not there, yet. Maybe I never will be. I'm sorry." With that, he turned and began fumbling for his keys.

Derek got out of his car and walked to Spencer's side. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey... I understand that. I totally understand that. I'm sorry, I acted like an ass. I... I've never met anyone like you, Dr. Reid. You talk about being out of your league-hell, I feel like I'm pitching for another _country._ I don't even know what I'm doing! But-I don't want to mess this up. I like you, too, and... well, I just don't want to mess this up."

Spencer smiled slightly. "You're a long way from messing anything up. I think... I think I just need some time. Is that okay?"

Derek looked into the calm, dark eyes, and the clarity and honesty he saw there completely derailed his train of thought. All he could do was whisper, "Yeah... of course. All the time you need, Spencer."

The boy bit his lip, and nodded. "Okay. So-we're taking it slow, right?"

"Slow, yeah. Completely slow." Derek gazed back at him. "I so want to kiss you right now." It came out before he realized he was speaking.

Spencer laughed. "Well, me too, but there's, uh, cameras and stuff..."

"I know. Well... I guess I better get on the road. I really did have a great time with you tonight, kid. Goodnight." Derek put a hand on his shoulder and gave what would have appeared to an observer to be nothing more than a brotherly pat of encouragement. The heartiness of the gesture nearly knocked Spencer over, but he righted himself and gave Derek a half-hearted pat of his own.

"Yeah... Goodnight, Derek. I'll see you tomorrow."

They got in their cars and went off in opposite directions.

xoxoxoxox

But, the next day, Derek didn't come in because he had a last-minute call to do publicity shots off-set. The day after that, Spencer didn't come in because he had class in the morning and work in the research lab in the afternoon.

Both men tried to keep their thoughts of each other pushed to the side. But, it didn't work so well for Derek, and on the third day following their date, Garcia was quick to nail him for it.

"What the hell's going on with you?" she hissed. She'd caught Derek daydreaming while standing around and staring at the young professor across the soundstage. In deference to the heat of summer, he was wearing a white short-sleeved button-down shirt with a thin black tie. Without a sweater or jacket covering his butt, Derek was able to fully appreciate how nicely he filled out the back of his khaki slacks, and he had other things on his mind besides the scene run-through at hand.

"Huh?"

"That boy. You're looking at that boy. Why?"

"Aw, go away, girl. I'm not looking at anything."

"Yes, you are. I heard you two went out together a couple of nights ago, is that true?"

"Oh, my God, Pen, we grabbed some dinner together. What's the big deal?"

"Derek Morgan, you are on the precipice, do you realize that?"

"The what?"

"The precipice! The precipice! The precipice of becoming a Really Big Star. I am not going to let you mess this up."

"You know, baby girl, I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Let me put it to you simply-_hot action hero plus cute little gay boy makes bad medicine_. If you're going to go to bed with someone from the production, for God's sake, make it your damn female co-star for at least the next six months or so, would you, please? If anyone besides me gets the idea that you're beating the sheets with another guy, you're toast-and, ipso facto, so am I. And, my instincts of self-preservation simply won't allow it!"

Derek gave her a look of distaste. "'Beating the sheets?' When'd you start talking like that? Look, Spencer's a sweet kid, he's smart, interesting, funny-I like him. But, right now, we're just friends, so, don't worry! Nothing's going on that's going to toast anything, okay? Trust me."

Garcia gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Okay. But, you better be careful, stud. If you thought the publicity machine was bad before, you haven't seen anything, yet. It'll eat you up and spit you out-"

"I know. I know. You told me already." He took one more glance in Spencer's direction and sighed.

Garcia pursed her lips and patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry, angel. I know it's not fair. I wish things were different, but-"

"I know how things are, Penelope. I don't need you feeling sorry for me, I'm aware of the consequences of my decisions. And, I'm not going to do anything to hurt my career-or you. So, chill, okay?"

Penelope smiled. "Okay." She glanced at Spencer, too. "He _is_ a cutie. I'm sorry, babe."

xoxoxoxox

Two days later, Spencer was back to wearing his contacts. Derek was trying to decide which way he liked him better, with or without glasses, and decided it was a toss-up. Although, without his glasses, he didn't squint so much, and it was easier to read the excitement in his eyes as he explained something to one of the sound techs. The gestures he was making and the grin on his face told Derek that the kid was having a good time, and that made Derek smile. It also made him want to kiss him. Now, somehow.

He went and found Gideon.

"Hey, man-listen, can I use your office to make a personal call? It's kind of sensitive and it may take a while. I'd really appreciate some privacy."

"Sure, I don't need it right now. Here, here's the key."

"Cool."

Derek then had the script girl go tell Spencer that he was needed in Jason Gideon's office. Spencer frowned, but shrugged and headed off to the office suites. He knocked on Gideon's door, but his attention was diverted by a strangely costumed girl he supposed to be one of the alien species featured in the movie, when the door opened.

Before he had a chance to turn his head, a hand pulled him inside. The door was immediately closed and locked, and Spencer gasped as he was pushed-gently but firmly-against a wall. He found himself looking into Derek Morgan's eyes. He frowned.

"Derek, why are we in Jason Gideon's office?"

"Because, I really need to get a kiss from you, and this was the only way I could think of doing it without getting caught." Derek gave a rich, throaty laugh, and caressed Spencer's face. "What do you say, kid?"

"Well, since you've gone through all this trouble to be such a sneak-okay."

Derek gathered him into his arms and delivered a scorching, demanding kiss that seemed to steal the breath right out of Spencer's lungs. Feeling a little weak, he blinked at Derek afterward and whispered, "Wow."

"You liked that?" He had a rather self-satisfied smirk on his face. Spencer nodded, but was still frowning as he ran his tongue over the inside of his lip.

"Um, yeah. I mean, you sort of pinched my lower lip a little bit, but..."

"I did?"

"Uh-huh." He touched the spot and regarded the result. He held up his finger. "It's bleeding."

"Oh, damn. I'm sorry-guess I kind of went overboard."

"It's ok."

Derek got a tissue from Gideon's desk and handed it to Spencer, who blotted the tiny nick. Derek looked at the minute spot of blood and gave him a worried look. "You okay? I've never caused a kiss-related injury before."

"Oh, yeah, it's fine. My lips are chapped, I guess."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You're an amazing kisser, just a little... over-enthused, perhaps."

"Yeah, it's been a while. I didn't mean to hurt you-you're not mad?"

Spencer laughed. "No, I told you, it's fine. The swelling'll just remind me of you." His eyes were dancing rather mischievously.

Derek gave a weak laugh. What was it about this kid that made him act like an idiot? "So-how about coming over to my place tonight for dinner?"

Spencer stopped blotting his lip and stared at him. "You're cooking?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I have a cook."

"You _do?"_

"Well, just on loan. Jason has me staying in one of Damien's houses in Beverly Hills for the duration of the movie shoot. Thinks it's better for security reasons, plus he doesn't have to worry about me getting to work on time, ha ha."

"Oh. Well, I don't know..."

Derek caught the skeptical expression on Spencer's face. "Hey-don't worry, Spencer, I'm not trying to put something over on you, I swear."

"You're not?"

"No! I just want to spend some time with you. And... to be honest... I mean, I would love to take you out again, it's just that-us, being in public together, well... My agent gave me a bunch of grief just for us going out the other night, and, well-"

"You don't have to explain, I understand. It's ok, I'll come over to your place for dinner. What time?"

"Around eight work for you?"

"Sure."

Derek tentatively leaned forward, not sure if he'd be welcomed after causing Spencer's lip to bleed. But, Spencer threw his arms around him and kissed him back, not too much less demandingly than Derek had kissed him before, and after a long moment, they broke apart and smiled at each other.

Derek sent Spencer back to his work station. He waited a few minutes, then headed back to continue working on the scene where his spaceship crashes and he emerges, dazed and confused, on an unknown planet. It occurred to him that, after five brief minutes in the company of Spencer Reid, he wouldn't have any trouble giving a convincing performance.


	7. At Derek's Place

**Hello, all! Just wanted to warn you that this chapter has slightly more adult stuff, in the way of alcohol mis-use and some sexy thoughts. Just FYI.**

**Please review, peach blossoms!**

**Seds**

**xoxoxoxoxox**

After his day at the studio, Spencer got in his car to go home to prepare for his date with Derek. Somehow, he found himself there before he knew it. He'd been so occupied with his thoughts of the evening ahead that he'd driven the whole way on autopilot.

Rolling his eyes at his advanced state of pathetic-ness, he went upstairs to his apartment and took a shower. He changed clothes and looked at the clock-he still had over an hour before he was supposed to show up at Derek's place. Great. Another hour of fretting, introspection and self-doubt, just what he needed.

He decided to call Emily, instead.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Em."

"Ah, the delectable Dr. Reid-hey, buddy, how are you?"

"I have a date tonight."

Emily grinned. "You know, I've heard people say 'I have an arraignment hearing' in that same tone of voice. What's the matter, is he a loser?"

"He's a rather popular action hero who's starring in the movie I'm working on."

Emily's eyes grew large and her voice rose a couple of octaves. "Derek Morgan? You've got a date with Derek Morgan? Oh, my God! How-how did you manage that?"

"I don't know. He likes me, or something. Em, what am I going to do?"

"What do you mean, what are you going to do? You're going to marry him, that's what you're going to do! What kind of question is that?"

"I-"

"Oh, do not tell me that you're waffling about whether or not to go out with him."

"No, I'm going to go. I just... I keep thinking about Ethan."

"Ethan? Why?"

"Because, I was in love with him. But, I knew him for a long time before we got together, we were best friends. I knew everything about him-"

"Except, that he was a lying, cheating jerk."

"Exactly! That's my point, that's exactly my point! I thought I knew who Ethan was, and he still broke my heart. Here, now, I'm about to allow myself to become involved with a man I barely know, who's an actor, for God's sake, and I can already see what a disaster this is going to be. Why am I putting myself through this?"

Emily sighed. "Because, you're a human being. Because, you want to be with someone, to connect with someone. Because, he's so freakin' hot you could fry an egg on those abs. Jeeze, Spencer-give yourself a break, will you? Just go with it! So, he ends up cheating on you, or he dumps you-so what? At least you'll have some great memories-hot, steamy, sex-fueled memories, oh, man..."

"Yeah, well, that's the problem, isn't it? I know that's what he wants. I want it, too... but, I can't seem to give in to the idea. He kissed me this afternoon and I-"

_"He kissed you? _Oh, good lord, what the _hell_ are you doing talking to me, why aren't you with him right now?"

"Em-I just-"

"For God's sake, Spencer, have a couple of drinks, lie down, close your eyes and think of England. Or, radioactive isotopes, or whatever it is you have to think about to calm yourself down, but go to bed with him, already!"

"Really?"

"Are you asking my permission? Yes! Do it, just do it-I mean- Oh, wait. Is he nice?"

"Yes."

"Then, go for it! Why do you make everything so hard?"

"I don't know! I... I don't usually do things impulsively. I anguished over getting romantically involved with Ethan, and it ended badly. Then, there was the one time I _did_ do something impulsive-dating Tobias-and it also ended badly. Now, I have an approach-avoidance conflict going either way, and the idea of dating Derek is just exacerbating it, and-"

"Hey, hey, come on. You like him, right? He obviously likes you. Just do what you feel is right. And, have a couple of drinks, it helps."

Spencer sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Okay. I'm going to try to overcome my neurotic anxiety about my future psychological well-being and just... go for it."

"'Atta boy."

"Emily?"

"Yes?"

"You'll be around to pick up the pieces, won't you?"

"You know I will, babe. I love you."

"I love you, too. Can't I interest you in a happy, sexless marriage of convenience?"

"Oh, there are days... I tell you what, see what you can do with Mr. Smokin' Hot Movie Actor, and then we'll talk."

Spencer smiled. "Okay. Well, wish me luck."

"Good luck. Use a condom."

"Gahhhh... " Spencer hung up and shook his head. His phone rang again, and he saw it was Emily.

"Yes?"

"And, plenty of water-based lube!"

"Goodbye, Emily." He hung up again, smiling, and went to find a jacket that didn't have worn elbows or a coffee stain on it.

xoxoxoxox

"Hey, you." Derek stood in the doorway of the Beverly Hills mansion that was on loan to him for the duration of the filming. He smiled broadly and held his arms out. Spencer walked in and was instantly enveloped in a bear hug that squeezed the breath out of him. He flinched at first, then he gave in and allowed himself to be squished.

When he was released, he said, "Hi, Derek. I brought wine." He held up the bottle. Derek took it from him.

"Excellent, this'll go perfectly with dinner. We're having homemade Mexican food-hope that's okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I love Mexican food. Wow, this place-this is amazing." He looked up at the high ceiling and stared at the extravagant chandelier. The floor was marble, there was expensive art on the walls, and that was just the foyer.

Derek chuckled. "Yeah, if you'd told me I would be so much as delivering pizza to a house like this ten years ago, I'd of laughed you out of town. I'm going to try not to get used to it, though, it's just for a few months." He led Spencer into a formal living room, with heavy antique furniture and an ornate wool rug. Then, he took him on a tour around the downstairs, and out to the pool. It was huge and the whole back yard was beautifully landscaped.

"Incredible." Spencer shook his head. "Such extravagance-"

"Listen, this is small potatoes for this part of town. Damien bought it for his daughter as a 'starter house,' a gift for her wedding. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last long, and now she's recovering in Europe. That's another reason Damien let me move in-I think I'm really just a glorified house sitter. But, that's okay with me." He took Spencer in his arms, aiming for a kiss, but Spencer resisted.

"Wait, wait-we're outside, aren't there, what do you call them, paparazzi lurking in the bushes, or something?"

"Well, I hope not. Actually, the grounds are very secure, and if you look around, you'll see there's really not a vantage point from anywhere except my neighbors' houses, and they don't care what goes on around here. Believe me, they got a lot more to hide than I do. So-come 'ere." He pulled the boy to him and smushed his mouth against his, remembering at the last minute to go a little easy, in light of the injury he'd inflicted earlier.

Spencer tried to relax, but he couldn't. He withstood the kiss, then pulled away, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "So, when's dinner going to be ready?"

Derek could feel his awkwardness. It occurred to him that he shouldn't have insisted on the kiss and felt a sinking sensation. He had to admit it to himself-he didn't know how to deal with Spencer Reid, they just weren't clicking. Maybe he should give up, now, before they both got hurt. Clearly, the guy wasn't all that into him, and he needed to accept that, bewildering though it was.

Just his luck, he'd finally found someone with brains and substance-a real person, someone he could see having a serious relationship with, maybe even one that lasted, like his folks had had-only to find that he didn't measure up. That was hard to take, but... He forced a smile.

"Should be on the table in a few minutes. Come on, let's go check-I'll show you the kitchen while we're at it."

They headed inside and found Gloria, the live-in cook and housekeeping supervisor. She smiled, warmly greeted Derek's guest, and assured them that dinner was almost ready. Derek showed Spencer the formal dining room, but told him that it was too fancy and that they would be eating in the breakfast nook, which turned out to be a homey area with a well-used table and chairs, located off a sunken den area. In there was a big, soft couch, an entertainment unit with a big-screen TV and gaming equipment, and a fireplace. It looked like a place where a real family might spend its time.

Derek poured the wine, and they took their seats. Spencer made a point of drinking down the first glass fairly quickly. Derek raised an eyebrow, but refilled his glass for him. They chatted off and on. Derek was preoccupied with watching Spencer, trying to read him; did he really need alcohol to make spending time with him palatable?

Spencer was focused on trying to tell if the wine was doing the job he wanted it to do. He felt a little buzz, but not enough to allow him to say what he intended to say to Derek. It was, however, making his stomach feel funny, so after his second glass, he declined a refill.

After the meal, they moved to the den. Derek took a seat on the couch, while Spencer bounced around the room, looking at the decorations and furnishings. Derek noted his restlessness, and thought maybe it was his cue to put an end to the kid's misery. He took a deep breath, surprised at how sad he felt, and tried to sound nonchalant.

"So, Spencer-look, I know you haven't exactly been into this thing between us, and maybe it'd be better if we-"

Spencer cut him off, appearing not to have heard him, or perhaps, Derek thought, he was just pretending. "Didn't you say something about watching a movie? Aren't we going to, um, do that, now?" He was speaking even a little more quickly than normal.

Derek wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or frustrated, but he took it as a positive sign. "Oh-well, sure. You want to watch a movie? Here, they've got a whole library. Pick one out. Or, let me see if I can find the remote, we can see what's on cable..."

"What's this?" Spencer opened a cabinet which revealed a built-in wet bar with several shelves of bottles containing clear or amber-colored spirits.

Derek grinned. "Yeah, I found this little gem right away. Anything you want, it's right there. Whiskey, brandy, gin, scotch-what do you like? I'm not much of a bartender, but I can do you a pretty fair martini, how about that?"

"What's that stuff?" Spencer pointed to a bottle that looked familiar to him. It reminded him of something his dad sometimes drank.

"Bourbon? Oh, yeah, that's good stuff. Here." Derek got two shot glasses and poured them each a serving. He raised his in a toast. "Here's to... us. You and me, kid. Wherever this takes us." Spencer raised his glass, they clinked them together, and drank up. Spencer wheezed into a cough and Derek laughed and patted his back.

"You okay?"

Spencer nodded, rubbing his watering eyes. "Yeah. I'm... not much of a drinker. But, this is good, thanks." They stood looking at each other for a moment while Spencer recovered, then Derek's cell rang. He sighed, pulled it out of his pocket and checked the ID.

"Damn. Sorry, I really need to take this, it's my mom. Be right back." He walked outside to the patio and Spencer stayed by the bar, his throat still burning from the alcohol. He was beginning to feel warm. But... not relaxed, not the way he wanted to feel.

He poured himself another shot and tossed it back. This one went down more smoothly. He poured another, and went to stand by the door to watch Derek talk on the phone. He tried to imagine what it would be like to have sex with him, and, almost without thinking about it, he swallowed down the third shot.

He had just refilled his glass when Derek came in. Spencer glanced up.

"Hey... is your mom all right?" Spencer found he had to think about each word before he could get it to come out clearly.

Derek cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yeah... my sister's bugging her to move out to the suburbs and she doesn't want to. I'm supposed to be the mediator, I guess. So, did you decide on a movie?"

"Uh... huh? Oh, no. What's on cable?" Spencer was focusing on the couch. He intended to navigate his way to it without stumbling over the large coffee table if it killed him. He succeeded, and Derek sat down next to him, remote in hand. He could smell the alcohol on his guest and he smiled uncertainly.

"Spencer? Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah... yeah, I'm... fine. What's on... what's on cable, did you say?"

"I don't know, I haven't checked yet." Derek clicked on the television and put on the cable menu. Spencer threw back another shot. Derek frowned.

Spencer held out his glass. "How 'bout another one?"

Derek stood up and went to the bar. He picked up the bourbon bottle and examined the content level. It was quite a bit more shallow than he remembered it being earlier that evening. He turned to Spencer.

"Spencer-how many shots have you already had?"

"Um... don't know, two or three, maybe? You had some, too," he added defensively.

"I had one, pretty boy. I think you better slow down, or-"

Suddenly, Spencer stood up, walked a bit unsteadily over to Derek and hurled himself into his arms, nearly knocking him off balance.

"Whoa! Hey-what's going on? What-"

"I wanna... I wanna go to bed with you, Derek." The words were mumbled into Derek's neck, and he wasn't completely sure if Spencer had said what he thought he'd said.

"You want to what?"

"I want... I want to... y'know... go to bed. With you! Yeah. That's it." Spencer tipped his head back and nodded emphatically.

Derek gently peeled the young man off of himself. He lifted Spencer's face and looked into his heavy-lidded eyes. "Spencer, you're drunk."

Spencer frowned. "No, 'm not."

"Yes, you are." Derek sighed-it had been a long time since he'd had to deal with someone so inebriated. "You had two glasses of wine and I don't know how many shots of bourbon in a very short amount of time. Alcohol's going to hit a skinny boy like you real fast."

"I, I'm not drunk, Derek," Spencer explained. "I'm just... relaxed." He smiled happily and grabbed onto Derek's arms as the room began to spin a little.

"No, kiddo, I know a drunk when I see one. Now, why don't you sit down here on the couch and-"

"Nooo," Spencer moaned. "Wanna go upstairs. Where's the bedroom, hm?" He started off, attempting to drag Derek with him, but he stumbled on the coffee table and nearly fell. Derek caught him and pulled him upright. Spencer dissolved into giggles.

"Oops! Clumsy, huh? Come on, Derek, le's go..."

"Spencer, stop." Derek took a firm hold of the boy and looked into his eyes. "Listen to me. This isn't going to happen, not tonight. Maybe not ever, if the idea of making love with me is so bad that you have to get loaded before you can even think about it."

Spencer stared back disbelievingly at him, then shook his head. "Aw, dammit. There's already someone else, isn't there? I _knew_ it... I should have known better. God, I'm so... _stupid."_ He attempted to hit his forehead with the heel of his hand, but he missed, then laughed. Then, the sorrowful expression came back. "Okay, Derek, I-I get it... 'm goin' home, now. See you." He began pawing through his pockets for his car keys.

"What? No! No, Spencer, that's not what I'm saying, stop it! Stop, you're not driving-hey, give me those... Give me those!" Derek had to wrestle the car keys away from him.

"Fine, I'll call a cab." Now, Spencer started fumbling for his cell phone.

"Spencer, no, stop. Hey. Listen-do you know how many bedrooms are in this place? Seven. There are seven bedrooms, there is no reason for you to go out when you're in this condition. Come on, you'll stay in the guest room tonight, sleep it off, and we'll talk about all this in the morning, okay? Huh? Put... Put away your phone, kid, come on-let me show you the guest room, please?"

"No. You don't like me anymore. Wanna go home." Before Derek could protest, he swirled away and finally succeeded in actually falling over the coffee table, hitting his head on the edge as he went down. He rolled over onto his back, and gazed up at the ceiling.

"Ow."

Derek helped him sit up and pushed a thatch of hair away from his forehead. A bump was already rising. "Damn it, Spencer. You trying to kill yourself?" Derek ran to the fridge in the wet bar and came back with ice wrapped in a cloth. He knelt down and pressed it to the injury.

Spencer looked at him skeptically. "I'm always getting hurt around you. Why is that, do you suppose?"

"I have no idea. Maybe it's a sign."

"Yeah-Pisces!" Spencer giggled again, and Derek shook his head.

"Oh, you so need to sleep this off. Come on, off to bed with you." He put an arm around Spencer's waist and hauled him to his feet, then began walking him to the stairs. It was quite a job getting him to the second floor without further injury, but they made it. Derek led him to the guest bedroom and sat him on the edge of the bed, then turned to open a dresser drawer.

"Go ahead and get comfortable." Spencer immediately started undressing.

"Here, here's a t-shirt you can put on. Whoa, whoa, that's enough!" Spencer was down to nothing but his underwear and was preparing to remove those. Derek went to him and grabbed his hands. Spencer grinned cheerfully and took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Derek's neck.

"Come on, Derek, let's, you know-'do it.'" Spencer snickered as he considered the euphemism. "Want to? I do!" He again tried to remove his shorts and Derek again wrestled his hands upward.

"No! Now, listen to me. You are drunk. I am not going to take advantage of that... no matter how tempting it may be." He gathered him into his arms and brushed his lips over Spencer's forehead, avoiding his injured spot. "Now, settle down..." He held him securely until Spencer stopped struggling and relaxed against him. "There, that's better. Now, you go to sleep, and we'll have a nice long talk in the morning, okay?"

Spencer stubbornly shook his head. "No. Let me go, I want to go home."

"Aw, come on, kid. Come on, don't you want to lie down? Aren't you sleepy?" Derek managed to hang on to one of Spencer's arms while at the same time pulling the covers down on the bed. He patted it invitingly.

Reluctantly, Spencer sat down, suddenly feeling exhausted. The room was spinning in earnest, now. His stomach felt weird. He allowed Derek to pull a t-shirt over his head and then he lay down. Derek looked down at him-he looked like a tired kid coming off of a sugar rush. He bent down and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning, man. Goodnight."

Derek was at the door, about to turn out the light, when he heard a plaintive, "Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have to go?"

Derek walked back and sat on the bed. "No, I don't have to go anywhere. What you need, kid?"

"I'm sorry. I'm... a mess."

"No. You're just going through some stuff. I know how it is. I've been there. You get hurt, you're afraid to feel anything ever again. I know."

Spencer turned over to face him. He scooted closer, until he was in Derek's arms. "Would you mind staying here with me? Just until I fall asleep. I... I like having you here."

"Okay, kid. Just 'til you fall asleep." He ran his hand soothingly over Spencer's back, feeling the tension drain out of him. The boy just cuddled closer, and Derek was afraid he wouldn't be able to pull away without waking him. He nudged off his shoes and got more comfortable.

It felt good to stretch out, to close his eyes. It had been a long day, they'd all been long days since he'd started on the film. He felt himself relaxing, liking the weight of Spencer's warm body against him. He sighed, reached down, and pulled the covers up over them, intending to just rest for a moment, then go to his own room.

The next thing he knew, his cell phone's alarm was waking him and he could hear Spencer retching in the bathroom.


	8. Making Out

**A/N: Hee, you're going to be mad at me, I bet. Bit of a cliffhanger, this chapter. Also, Spencer's hangover and later, boys making out... Just FYI. Love you guys!**

**Seds**

**xoxoxoxox**

The sound of Spencer throwing up in the bathroom had Derek both amused and somewhat concerned for his guest's well-being. He really wanted to go to him to make sure that he was all right, but thought that that would just create more embarrassment for the poor kid. He settled for calling, "Spencer? You okay?"

There was no answer, but he could hear Spencer moving around in the bathroom. "There's a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet," he added. He heard the medicine cabinet door squeak open, then slam shut, followed by the sound of teeth being brushed. After that, the shower started up and Derek heard what was either a howl of pain, or possibly a very bad word. He cringed, remembering that the hot and cold handles were reversed in that particular room. After a few minutes, the bathroom door swung open and Spencer emerged.

He didn't look good. Pale skin, hair in a wet tangle around his face, dark purple circles under his eyes, an impressive bruise on his forehead... He had on his underwear and Derek's t-shirt, and he clung to a towel around his neck like a lifeline. He gingerly made his way to the bed and sat down next to Derek, then propped his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands. "So, so bad," he groaned.

"Aw, hey, man, suck it up. You'll be all right." But, Derek draped an arm over Spencer's shoulders and gave him a hug. He was pleased that he leaned into it instead of pulling away. "Does your head hurt?"

"'Hurt' is a weak and inadequate description of what is going on inside my skull."

Derek patted his back with a little more enthusiasm than Spencer would have liked. "Let's go downstairs and get some coffee and aspirin into you."

Spencer made a sound that wasn't quite human, but obediently stood up and trudged down the stairs behind Derek. Derek got him the promised items and they took a seat in the sunny breakfast nook, while Spencer calculated the odds on if, and how long, he would be able to keep anything down, even water.

"Oh, God..." He moaned and lay his head directly onto the cool surface of the table.

Derek swallowed some coffee and contemplated the sight before him. The kid was so damn beautiful, even in his dissolute state. He chuckled. "Spencer, I just have one question for you, and it's about last night-what the hell were you thinking?"

"Are you actually expecting me to talk? Because, it hurts. Plus, my tongue feels puffy..."

"Take your aspirin."

"Why? What's the point, all it'll do is ease the sharp throbbing, thus making the dull ache more perceptible. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die in a little while, anyway."

"Just do it."

Reluctantly, Spencer rose to an upright position and swallowed down the pills and water, then repositioned his head in a fresh spot on the table. Derek pushed a thick swatch of hair out of his face.

"You'd be surprised how non-fatal a hangover actually is. I speak from experience, by the way."

"Clearly, you don't understand the gravity of the situation. I believe myself to have been poisoned."

"Yeah, by a really good aged Kentucky bourbon. That's what you get for decimating Damien Steinberg's daughter's liquor stock."

"Mm."

"Spencer, look at me. Please."

Groaning, Spencer raised his head and turned weary eyes to Derek. "What?"

"Why did you feel the need to get so loaded that you could barely walk, just to tolerate spending an evening with me?"

"I didn't... My friend, Emily, suggested that I have a couple of drinks, just to relax. And, I had the wine, but it didn't seem to do the trick. So, I tried the bourbon, but that just kind of burned, so I had a little more, and before I knew it, I was on the floor.

"You know, I've studied the way the human body reacts with various types and amounts of alcoholic beverages in a laboratory setting, but this is the first time I've actually used myself as a case study."

"Yeah? How'd that work out for you?"

"I didn't like it."

Derek took a sip of coffee. "You didn't answer my question. What made you so nervous about spending an evening with me that you had to drink in order to calm yourself down? Am I really that threatening to you?"

"No, Derek-I just... I'm trying to overcome a lot of issues that have nothing to do with you, and... I just thought if I went ahead and had an intimate experience with you, that it might help. You know, kind of like someone with a fear of spiders putting their hand into a tarantula cage."

Derek frowned. "So, making love with me is as repulsive to you as handling a big ol' hairy spider? I'm getting the feeling that this isn't going to work out."

"No! It's not that-ow, you're making my head hurt more."

"Look, kid-I think I understand what you're trying to say, and I have to tell you-I don't like being put in this position. Sex is supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be about two people who dig each other, gettin' it on in that... special way. You do know it's not therapy, right?"

Spencer rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Of course I know that... God, I really did screw things up last night, didn't I? I'm so sorry. You probably couldn't tell, but I was actually trying to be... fun." He laughed weakly.

Derek's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Fun? Wait-you're saying... you got drunk so you could be fun... for me?"

Spencer sighed. "I didn't intend to get drunk, I just wanted to lose some of my inhibitions so that you and I could... get together without a lot of angst on my part. I know you want that, and-"

Derek scooted closer and put an arm around Spencer's shoulders. "Hey-you remember what we decided in the parking lot the other night? About taking it slow? I meant that. I'm in no hurry. I'll wait as long as it takes. When you and I finally go to bed together, know that it's going to be because it's what we _both_ want-no hesitation. So, quit being nervous around me and just let this happen naturally, all right?" He looked into Spencer's eyes, then gave him a gentle kiss. Spencer broke into a smile, then grimaced in pain, then gingerly smiled again.

"Okay, yes. Taking it slow. I... want to do that. I want this, Derek. I really do. And... things will improve. I'm not great with relationships, but I'm usually not such an idiot."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now, are you hungry?"

"God, no."

"Eat some toast."

"Why don't you just kill me now and get it over with?"

"Okay, fine. But, it would help." He checked the clock in the kitchen. "Damn, it's almost 7:30. Listen, I've got to get ready for work."

"Me, too."

They headed back upstairs. Spencer dressed in his clothes from the night before, while Derek quickly showered and dressed. They met downstairs in the fancy living room and Spencer smiled awkwardly at him.

"Hey, um-thanks for dinner. And, thank you for taking care of me last night. I liked waking up with you. It would have been better if I wasn't, you know, retching my guts out, but... It was nice. Thanks for letting me stay over, and for not letting me drive."

"Well, there was no way you were capable of navigating a motor vehicle when you couldn't even make your way around a coffee table."

"Yeah, that's true." Spencer bit his lip and stared at the floor for a moment, apparently trying to remember something. Suddenly, he looked up. "Oh-and thank you for not having sex with me. I really appreciate it."

Derek laughed. "Uh-it was my pleasure. I mean-well, not exactly, but... Listen, I'll call you later, okay?"

Spencer nodded, then gave him a teasing look. "So, none of this put you off, huh? The falling down, the throwing up-nothing? My evil plan for you to dump me before I get too attached to you failed?"

Derek put his hands on Spencer's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Yeah, it sure did. You don't scare me, Reid. You're the weirdest guy I ever met, but somehow-I can't stop thinking about you." He went in for a smooch and to his delight, Spencer eagerly returned the kiss. Then, they stood there, holding each other for a long time, just enjoying each other's warmth.

They finally broke apart, said goodbye, and headed off to start their days in opposite directions.

xoxoxoxoxox

The days became incredibly busy for both of them. Derek was filming from early morning to late evening, and then he was often expected to do publicity appearances, accompanied by his voluptuous co-star, Amber.

Spencer was doing some tutoring gigs, as well as his usual juggling of class, research lab, and consultation on the film.

He and Derek spent more time on the phone together than seeing each other in person, but they grabbed every possible moment that presented itself. When possible, they had lunch together on the set, lost in the crowd around the catering table. Occasionally, they snuck into Derek's trailer for stolen hugs and kisses, just brief little moments that wouldn't arouse suspicion, but something to help them make it through the rest of the day.

Sometimes, Derek would end up at Spencer's apartment, late, and he'd wangle an invitation to come in and watch the news, or to have a snack and cuddle while watching a late-night talk show. To his amazement, more than once he'd woken up, smushed into the crevice of Spencer's couch, with the boy wrapped in his arms, the TV still blaring and their clothes still on.

Their friendship became like a taut wire.

It was driving Derek crazy, but he was having more fun almost-dating Spencer than he'd ever had in a full-time relationship with anyone else.

And, Spencer found himself losing his concentration. He kept thinking of things Derek had said-silly, brash boasts, teasing comments, gentle whispers before they had to part for the day-and smiling. One of his students accused him of being in love, and he'd almost dropped his chalk.

Emily called often for a progress report, and chided him for being a goody-two-shoes, but he noticed as time passed that she sounded more and more impressed with the way he and Derek were becoming closer and closer, even though they hadn't yet found the right time and place to become lovers.

xoxoxoxoxox

Then, one afternoon, filming was cancelled due to weather. They were doing an outdoor scene and a freak rainstorm came out of nowhere. Derek called Spencer and was delighted to find that he had a rare afternoon off and was at home. He headed over to Spencer's apartment and whistled cheerfully as he bounded up the stairs to knock on his door.

A smiling Spencer let him in. "Hey, this is great. I feel like I'm playing hooky."

"I know, right? Fate was on our side this afternoon." They laughed and took seats on the couch. Spencer took a deep breath, trying not to get ahead of himself, but feeling decidedly anticipatory, as if something exciting was about to happen.

"Do you want something to drink? Are you hungry? I could call for some pizza or-"

"You know something, I got everything I want, sitting right here next to me on this couch." Derek's eyes were warm and intense and Spencer felt a shiver come over him.

"Oh, well, okay. I-" Derek scooted closer and took him in his arms. Spencer made no effort to resist and they kissed, softly at first, then more and more passionately, their tongues sliding together, then flicking over and between warm lips. Derek moved lower, licking along the graceful arc of Spencer's neck, amazed at how the velvety skin seemed to melt in his mouth. He worked his way to Spencer's Adam's apple, licking and sucking, gently nipping, until Spencer pulled away and gave him a look.

"What are you doing?"

Derek blinked, suddenly unsure. "Uh-making out with you?"

"Oh." Spencer reflected for a moment, then nodded and leaned forward for another kiss, but Derek gently pushed him back.

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I just... I didn't remember that making out involved so much... spit." He swiped at the wet place on his neck and scrunched his nose. "Could you hand me a tissue?"

Derek was just about to say something when the doorbell rang. Spencer looked at Derek and gave him an "I have no idea" shrug, then stood and went to the door. He opened it and found a dark-haired man with a goatee standing there. Behind him was a small, cute blonde woman. The man held up a badge.

"Dr. Spencer Reid?"

"Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Agent David Rossi with the FBI, and this is Agent Jennifer Jarreau. I'm very sorry to disturb you, but we'd like to ask you some questions. May we come in?"

**Please review, angel-buns!**


	9. The FBI

**A/N: Hi, loves! In this chapter, we learn what the FBI wants with Spencer. Spencer reveals more of his past. There's some comfort-kissing...**

**Please review, bunny-babes!**

**xoxoxoxoxox**

Spencer stared at the badge in David Rossi's hand, then glanced back at Derek. Derek had heard the introductions and was on his feet, poised for flight. All he needed was for his name to be splashed across the trash rags-_FBI Sting Snags Steinberg Star!-_even if this was nothing of the sort. But, there was nowhere to go in Spencer's small apartment other than the bedroom, so Derek hastily slipped away and closed the door, leaving a small crack so that he could hear what the FBI had to say to his boy.

His presence wasn't lost on the agents. Rossi watched him disappear behind the door and made a few mental notes-his height, weight, and so forth. Even though the man was of no immediate interest to him, one never knew. Agent Jareau, however, nudged Rossi in the ribs and eagerly whispered, "Was that Derek Morgan?"

Rossi frowned. This was already not going well. He gave Spencer a calming smile, then hissed back, "Who?"

She rolled her eyes and addressed Spencer. "Dr. Reid, was that Derek Morgan? The actor?"

"JJ, Dr. Reid's guest is of no concern to us-"

"But, Derek Morgan! I _love_ him. He was in _Apocalypse Angels_, you saw that, didn't you? How could you not love him?" She smiled at Spencer, who was standing pensively in the doorway, not at all certain that this wasn't some sort of joke.

Spencer cleared his throat. "Um... Could I see your badges again?"

Rossi held his up for Spencer's inspection and shot an impatient look at his partner. He'd have to address her unprofessional behavior with her later. They weren't here to get autographs.

Satisfied that they were actually FBI agents, Spencer said, "Why don't you come in and sit down?" He stepped back and gestured toward the couch. They sat, and Spencer took an easy chair across from them. "What's this all about?"

Rossi brought out a file folder. He flipped through it and took out a photograph, then laid it on the coffee table. "Dr. Reid, do you recognize this man?"

Spencer picked up the photo and studied it. It appeared to be a security camera image, grainy and slightly blurred, of a bearded, long-haired man. "Well... it's kind of hard to tell, but I think that's Toby Hankel."

Rossi nodded and placed the picture back in the folder. "And, how did you come to be acquainted with Mr. Hankel?"

Spencer shifted uncomfortably. "Uh... we met when I was going to school. We became friends, sort of." He shrugged and gave them a questioning look.

"Have you ever engaged in any sort of business venture with him?"

That was not the question that Spencer was braced for. He frowned. "Business venture? No. He used to work at a video store I frequented, that's how I got to know him, but-no, we didn't work together, or anything."

Rossi raised an eyebrow. The young man was clearly uncomfortable. He was fairly certain he was on the right path, but... "Has he been in contact with you, lately?"

Startled, Spencer shook his head. "No! I thought he was in prison."

Agent Jareau nodded. "He was. But, he got out on parole recently and now he's disappeared. We're trying to find him, and we know he considers you a friend. Are you sure he hasn't tried to get in touch with you? Left a voice message, an email, something like that?"

"No-and, I doubt he still considers me a friend, he stole from me and I reported the theft to the police. I understood that that was what led to his arrest. If anything, I'd think he'd be angry with me."

"He seems to be a forgiving sort. JJ, hand me that other file, please." He took it and flipped to a document. "Dr. Reid, you are currently employed by SteinWorld Enterprises, are you not?"

"SteinWorld? Uh..." He had yet to receive a paycheck from the studio, and wasn't sure what name the accounting office would be using. "I don't know the name they're doing business as, but I'm a consultant on Damon Steinberg's latest film."

JJ's eyes widened. "And, Derek Morgan's starring in it! Of course! I thought they were going to go with Denzel, but, Morgan's a much better choice. He's younger, and-"

"JJ-" Rossi gave her a reproving look.

"I _love _him," she whispered, only slightly chastened.

Rossi turned back to Spencer. "Dr. Reid, do you know the specific charges under which Tobias Hankel was convicted?"

"Well-not really. I assume theft, and probably drug possession."

"Those came up, but they were not what he was actually put away for."

"What was it, then?"

"Film piracy."

"Film piracy?" Spencer pondered that for a moment. He thought of the FBI emblem at the start of every videotape or DVD he'd ever rented and the dire warning that accompanied it. Of course, illegally copying movies for resale was a felony. He smiled slightly. "Really? Is that what they've got the FBI running around investigating these days? Film piracy?" He tried to hold it back, but a snicker of relief came out.

Rossi's lip curled and his voice was curt. "Film piracy is a very serious crime, especially here, where so many people are dependent on the film industry for their livelihood. I would think you'd be able to appreciate that, being involved in it, yourself."

Spencer stifled a giggle and tried to look serious. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I'm just... So, film piracy, huh? I had no idea."

"Really?" JJ's tone was slightly icy. "He never came to you for help in fencing his counterfeit DVDs?"

"What? No, of course not! Why would you think-"

Rossi consulted his file again. "We've been going over old police reports. We discovered that the return address from which he was mailing fake DVDs was a previous residence of yours."

"What? I didn't know anything about that-"

JJ interjected, "Didn't he live with you?"

Spencer's mouth opened, but no sound came out for a moment.

"Uh... well, he sort of... yeah, I mean, there was a time when... He got kicked out of his own place and I let him, you know... It was a temporary arrangement, that's all."

JJ's eyes had narrowed. "So, he lived with you and you never noticed him packing up merchandise for shipping? Right there in your own home?"

"No! I... wasn't home much, back then. I'd usually come in from class, go to bed and be out like a light. Then, I'd get up early and be gone all day. I was a grad student, working full-time, he could have been building a nuclear warhead in my living room and I wouldn't have noticed."

The two agents glanced at each other. Rossi fixed Spencer with a critical expression. "Dr. Reid, are you familiar with the RICO Act?"

"Uh, yeah... It covers... mail fraud."

"Mm-hm. I don't think you would want us to have to delve more deeply into Mr. Hankel's use of your domicile for conducting illegal business affairs, would you? In fact, I assume you'll be interested in cooperating with us, am I correct?"

Spencer blinked. "Of... course."

"Good. Now-I'm sure you're telling us the truth. And, I'm sure you aren't currently involved in any of Mr. Hankel's shady dealings. However, I have reason to believe that he will be contacting you in the very near future."

"Why would he?" Bewildered, Spencer looked from one to the other. "I wouldn't give him the time of day, what would he want with me, now?"

"I believe he's going to offer you a deal."

"A deal? What kind of a deal?"

Rossi leaned forward and tapped the file folder labeled _Reid_. "You're working on the set of what promises to be the hottest blockbuster movie scheduled to come out next summer. You'll have access to all sorts of things-behind the scenes photos, taped dialogue, spoilers-and, most important of all, eventually... A rough-cut of the film itself. Do you know how much that's worth to overseas distributors?"

JJ nodded. "We think he's going to offer you a percentage of his take if you'll agree to smuggle these things out to him. Which, of course, is illegal in itself. But, if you were to help him, you could be charged with co-conspiracy to pirate intellectual property for resale. That's federal time."

Spencer swallowed. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Rossi pulled a business card out of his pocket. "Nothing, for now. But-if he does get in touch with you, contact us immediately. With anything. A phone call, a note, whatever. Here's my card." He handed it to Spencer, who took it, studied it, and committed it to memory. He looked up with a worried frown.

"What if he, I don't know, gets upset when I refuse to go in on this deal with him?"

"He'll make some sort of casual contact, first. He'll probably try to re-establish your friendship. As soon as he does, you alert us-we'll pick him up."

Spencer sat back, trying to take it all in. Finally, he shrugged. "Well, all right. I can do that."

"Very good. Then, we're done." Rossi gathered the files together and stood up. He shook Spencer's hand and began to thank him for his cooperation. JJ stood up too, then glanced toward the bedroom door.

"Dr. Reid?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think-do you think you could you introduce me to Mr. Morgan? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

"JJ, for God's sake-" Rossi clapped a hand on his forehead. Spencer smiled.

"Uh-well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind, but-I don't think he'd want it known that he spoke with the FBI. Probably wouldn't make for good publicity. You understand. About the film industry." Spencer raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Oh, I won't tell anyone-I swear." She crossed her heart.

"Okay. I'll ask him to-"

Just then, Derek strode out of the bedroom with a huge grin on his face. "Did I just hear someone asking to meet me? Aw, man, I had no idea the FBI hired such beautiful agents, makes me want to get all felonious!" He held out his arms and JJ squeaked delightedly as she went in for a hug.

"Derek Morgan, oh, my God! This is such an honor-I've been a fan of yours for ages, ever since _Slouching Lion, Unseen Cobra_, I was just blown away by that one-"

"Now, honey, you couldn't have been more than eight years old when that came out-"

JJ burst into giggles. "Oh, gosh, no, I was fourteen! Wow, hey-would you sign my notepad? Please?"

"Well, now, hold on, darlin'." Derek dug in his pocket and brought out a set of car keys. "Dr. Reid, run out and bring me one of those publicity stills, will you? This gorgeous public servant deserves it, going around protecting the population from bad guys... That a real gun you got there? Yeah? Can I see it? No? Why not, don't you trust me? I used to be a cop, you know-"

Spencer took the keys and gave Derek a deadly glare, but it went unnoticed. JJ's gales of laughter followed him down the steps. He returned in a few minutes with the photo, and Derek made a production of signing it, getting JJ to "spell" her name-"It's just JJ!"-until she was cracking up.

At this point, he had Rossi charmed as well, and by the time the agents left, they were both promising to come up with a reason to drop by the studio so Derek could show them around. They parted the best of friends, and Spencer closed and locked the door behind them. He stood leaning against the door jamb with his hand on the knob for a few moments, then turned and sneered at Derek.

"You... are disgusting."

"Yeah, but you want to know something? Never been arrested." He gave Spencer a triumphant grin, and came up to him for a hug. Spencer held him at arm's length.

"I feel like someone dumped a bucket of smarminess on my head."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's what I do, Reid. All part of the job. Now, can we please go back to what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Spencer checked his watch and shook his head. "Sorry, Hollywood, but I have a night class tonight that I have to get ready for."

"You're kidding."

Spencer shook his head. "Nope. Sorry. Anyway-you probably didn't notice since you were so busy planning your grand entrance, but I was just interrogated by the FBI. It's going to take me a little while to recover." He started to walk away, but Derek stepped in front of him and gently guided him backward until his back was against the wall.

Derek slowly leaned forward. He slipped his arms around Spencer's waist, and he tightly hugged the young professor to him. He could feel the tension in the slender body, and he swayed with him, rocking in a comforting rhythm. He could feel Spencer begin to relax against him, and he nuzzled a kiss into his neck. Then, Derek pulled back and looked into Spencer's eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"So-tell me about this Hankel cat. Old boyfriend of yours?"

Spencer sighed tiredly. Tobias Hankel was a chapter of his life that he wished he could redact.

"Yes, briefly. I had just broken up with a guy that I... was very much in love with. My heart was broken, I felt worthless. I guess I wanted to do something, I don't know, crazy. Toby was wild, there was something... dangerous about him. Intense. It went really fast, he just... overwhelmed me."

"What happened?"

"We went out for a while. He apparently never paid his rent, so he ended up not having a place to live. He just sort of made himself at home at my place. We weren't even romantically involved by then, and I suspected he was using drugs, but I didn't have time to deal with him.

"Then, one day I found a needle and spoon under my couch, and I changed the locks and kicked him out. But, a couple of days later, he broke in and stole everything of any value that I had. I turned him in to the police, and later, I heard he was going to prison. I thought I'd learned a good lesson from the whole debacle, and that that would be the end of it, but now..."

Derek took him back into his arms. "Well, don't worry about it. If he contacts you, you just do what the feds told you to do, okay?"

"Oh, believe me, I will. Wouldn't want to be hauled in on racketeering charges."

Derek put his forehead against Spencer's and kissed him. "Are you really going to make me leave?"

"I have to, Derek. I've got a stack of papers to grade and I don't even know what chapter we're on. Hanging around with you has totally screwed up my system."

Derek pulled back and grinned. "Well, my apologies. But, I've enjoyed every minute I've had with you, and if a couple of struggling physics majors get an easy 'A' for a change, I consider it well worth it. How about you?"

Spencer ducked his head and grinned. "I guess." He hugged Derek, then pulled out of his grasp. "All right, out. I'll see you, um... Wednesday?"

"I hope. If nothing comes up."

"Yeah."

They kissed goodbye, and Derek reluctantly left Spencer's apartment. He took out his phone and called Penelope to make a dinner date. After spending a whole afternoon with Spencer, he couldn't bear the thought of facing the evening ahead of him all alone.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

As Agents Rossi and Jareau drove back to headquarters, Rossi kept pondering the meeting they'd just had with Spencer Reid. He hoped he'd scared him enough to assure his cooperation, should Hankel get in touch with him.

And, that Derek Morgan-he vaguely remembered watching a movie or two with him in it. Not a particularly good actor, in his opinion, although he was quite impressive with his martial arts skills.

But, man, he was an awfully nice guy.

"JJ?"

"Hm?"

"What do you suppose someone famous like Derek Morgan was doing, hanging around with a nobody like Dr. Reid?"

JJ shrugged. "I have no idea. Why?"

"Just wondering."

He drove on, and JJ smiled down at the autographed photo in her lap. _I met Derek Morgan! _she squealed silently to herself. But, Rossi's question hung heavily in the air and her face scrunched into a worried frown.

She certainly hoped that the skinny little professor geek wasn't going to get her favorite actor into trouble.

She'd have to pay attention, just to make sure.

There was no way she was going to let Damon Steinberg's best film _ever_ lose its perfect leading man. Not if she could help it. She tucked the photo into a file folder and slid it into her brief case. She was going to have it framed, and she'd find a subtle place to put it in her office.

If anyone asked, she'd say she met him at Starbucks.


	10. A Drive Down the PCH

**Hello, lovely readers (and, if any of you are guys, you're lovely, too)! Just a quick "thank you!" to you all for reading and for your reviews, you really keep me going. These last two weeks were pretty crazy in RL, so this took a lot longer to get posted than I would have liked. I'm afraid next week doesn't promise to be any better, so it may be another couple of weeks before the next update, but it's coming! **

**On a side note, I LOVED the season premier of CM (except for the much-too-few Reid/Morgan interaction). What did you think? **

**I'm planning to watch the next episode with a box of tissues in my lap, because I'm going to cry when JJ leaves. Stupid CBS.**

**And, I did want to put in a word for the Profiler's Choice CM Awards that is being done on the "Chit Chat on Author's Forum"-If you haven't seen the forum, you might want to go over there and take a look, it's a wonderful place to talk to other CM readers and writers. **

**"Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us for our first Profiler's Choice CM Awards on ! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on , and let your voice be heard. Anyone with a account is eligible to nominate. Please check out the nominating ballot and rules at Chit Chat on Author's Forum at .net/topic/74868/30888142/1/. All rules and information are on the forum."**

**The web address may not work right, so just go to "Forums"-it's the first one listed. You'll see the post.**

**Thanks again!**

**Seds**

* * *

Opportunities for Derek and Spencer to spend time together were still in short supply. Filming was in full swing for Derek, and spring break was imminent for Spencer, which meant that he had a lot of tests and assignments to give and grade before everyone took off for a whole week.

The specter of Tobias Hankel hung over both of them. The more Derek thought about it, the more concerned he became that the kid's old boyfriend might cause trouble. He was no stranger to stalkers and nutty exes, and he knew how crafty and devious someone with a fixation could become. He had to try not to freak out every time Spencer didn't answer his phone or was late for a date with him.

And, he had to force himself not to quiz Spencer incessantly about Hankel; he told himself he was just trying to use his old law enforcement skills to create a profile of the guy so he could predict his behavior; but, in reality, he knew that he was just jealous. It drove him crazy that Spencer had fallen for a creep like Hankel, yet he himself couldn't seem to win the kid's complete confidence.

As for Spencer, being reminded of his affair with Tobias was enough to make him question his judgment where romance was concerned. He found himself taking a step back with Derek; even though he felt certain that Derek was a genuinely good guy, he had begun to second guess everything he thought he knew about him.

It didn't help that he'd recently had a disturbing telephone conversation with his mother. When she'd asked him how things were going, he'd shyly confessed to her that he was seeing someone. She'd made a delighted chortling sound, and launched into interrogation mode.

"Ah-ha! I thought you sound abnormally happy. That's excellent, dear-tell me all about him, what's he like, where did you meet?"

"On the set."

His mom had been shocked into silence for a moment. Then, "He's not an actor, is he?" She couldn't have said "mob goon" in a more suspicious tone.

"Uh... Yes, actually, he is. But, he's really nice!"

"Oh, Spencer, what have I told you about actors? They're devious, self-involved, dull-witted, lying, cheating, narcissistic jerks. He's going to break your heart, darling-run in the other direction, run, while you still can!"

"Mom-"

"Oh, I know, I haven't learned anything in my fifty-something years on this earth that could possibly be of any interest to you, but-"

"Mom, he's not like that, and anyway, how can someone be devious _and _dull-witted at the same time?"

"Don't play semantics with me, son. I'll pound you into the dirt. I'm just saying, a person doesn't join the acting trade with a pure heart and an abiding benevolence toward the human race. I can assure you, he's only interested in what he can get from you, then he'll throw you aside like a used tissue."

"Oh, my God, don't be so dramatic! I'm telling you, he's not like that."

"Fine, don't listen to me. But, mark my words, son-you deserve better. Much better."

Spencer had rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"I wish you would. Did I ever tell you about the actor that starred in "From Earth to Oblivion"? What he did to that poor girl from wardrobe? He-"

Spencer had heard the story before, many times before, and he'd sighed. An hour later, he'd hung up the phone and found himself wondering what it was, exactly, that went on between Derek and his voluptuous co-star, Amber, at all those publicity engagements that they were always going off to.

And-the FBI's visit had left Spencer feeling more than a little paranoid. At the grocery store, he saw a guy with scruffy reddish hair and a beard, and he stared until he turned around and Spencer could see that he was a complete stranger. Walking down the hallway at school, he'd find himself searching the crowd, keeping an eye out for Toby's familiar face. At home, if the phone rang with no one on the line when he answered, it sent him off to double-check all the locks on the windows and doors.

Derek could sense his distress, could feel the distance growing between them, and decided he had to do something about it. One afternoon, shooting was abruptly called to a halt for the day, and he didn't have to think twice.

He went straight to his car and headed for Caltech.

* * *

He showed up at Spencer's classroom wearing sunglasses, a leather jacket with the collar turned up, and a pork-pie hat-his standard "I'm not Derek Morgan" outfit. He chose a time when most people were in class, thereby improving his chances of not being recognized. He could hear Spencer lecturing, and he knocked at the door. Spencer looked up.

"Carlos, could you please see who that is?"

The student opened the door and stared inquiringly at Derek. He stayed in the shadow of the hall with his hat pulled down and grunted, "Need to speak to Professor Reid."

"Doc, your connection's here," Carlos announced cheerfully. The class laughed, and Spencer frowned. A jolt of apprehension went through him.

_"What?"_

"Guy wants to see you, I think it's your dealer or something."

Spencer steeled himself and went to the door, his cell phone in hand. When he saw it was only Derek, he almost laughed out loud in relief. He rolled his eyes at Derek's get-up and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

"Jeeze, Derek, you scared me, I was afraid you were Tobias. What the heck are you doing? What's this... outfit?"

"Aw, I'm sorry, kid-but, I knew you wouldn't answer your phone until you got out of class and, anyway, I thought it'd be fun to come by and surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished."

Derek laughed ruefully. "I didn't want people to recognize me, that's why I'm dressed like this."

"I see. Well, okay, but it's not terribly helpful to have you make my students think I have a cocaine habit."

"Damn, didn't even think about that, sorry. But, listen, I'm going to be sitting in my car, right out front. As soon as you're done, come on out and hop in. I'm going to whisk you away for the afternoon, then we'll have dinner at my place. Okay?"

"What about filming? I thought you were in the middle of the jail-break scene or something."

"Yeah, but Steinberg and Gideon and all the other big-shots got called into a secret meeting and they canceled the rest of today's shoot. So, let's take advantage of it, huh? Come on, meet me at the car."

Spencer smiled. It was the Friday before spring break. For a change, he had nothing urgent to do in the evening, and Derek did look stupidly adorable in his disguise. "Well-okay. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Derek gave him a happy wink and affectionately punched his arm, then took off. Spencer stared after him, and, with a grin on his face, he turned and braced himself to return to the stares of his curious students. He'd just tell them that Derek was an Army recruiter looking for likely boot-camp candidates, and that he'd be giving him a list of students with the worst grades when they came back from break.

* * *

Derek took Spencer for a long drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. Once they got away from LA, they slowed down and stopped at whatever roadside stand or small town that caught their interest along the way.

The further they got from the city, the more relaxed they felt. It became less and less likely that Derek would be recognized, and worries about Hankel slipped away. They started joking and laughing together, and in the little coastal communities accustomed to the wacky tourist trade, they blended right in. No one thought it unusual that a couple of guys would be out having fun on an excursion together.

They bought souvenirs, had a snack at a taco stand, then stopped at a scenic observation point by the ocean to watch whales in the distance. No one was around, and Derek dared to put his arm around Spencer and pull him in for a hug.

"I've missed you, kid."

"Me, too, Derek. I'm sorry, I know I've been acting weird. This thing about Toby's really got me upset." He tiredly rubbed his eyes, then relaxed against Derek's solid frame. It felt good to touch him, to smell him, and for a moment, he forgot about everything but Derek, and slipped an arm around his waist. It was chilly so near the water, and he wormed his way into Derek's jacket. Derek grinned and held him closer.

"I know. Me, too. You know what I wish?"

"What?"

"I wish we could get out of this town. Hell, out of this life. Head for the hills and disappear, just the two of us. Start over where no one knows us. Then, we could just... be ourselves."

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." Suddenly, he thought of his class, his work at the lab, his commitment to Steinberg's picture, and the weight of his responsibilities seemed to drop down on top of him like a boulder. "But-that's not going to happen any time soon, is it?"

Derek thought of his film contract and shook his head. "Guess not. Oh, well. How about we head back? By the time we get there, Gloria'll have dinner on the table."

"Okay."

Derek carefully checked all around them, and finding themselves still alone, he stole a kiss before they headed back to the car.

* * *

They returned just as it was starting to get dark, and by then, they were hungry again. Gloria had dinner ready as predicted, and they sat down to a good meal and fine wine. Derek was pleased to see that, this time, Spencer slowly sipped at his glass, and seemed to be happy and relaxed as they chatted and bantered over their food.

This time, when they retired to the den, Spencer sat down on the couch next to Derek, and when Derek slipped his arm around Spencer's shoulders, he scooted closer and went in for a kiss. Derek eagerly kissed back and Spencer cuddled into him and sighed.

"This has been a nice day."

"Sure has."

"Do you want to put on a movie?"

Derek frowned thoughtfully. "How about some music, instead?"

"Okay, sure."

Derek found the remote for the stereo and set it to a station playing soulful R&B. Spencer moved back into his arms, and for a long moment, they just sat together, listening to the music and enjoying each other's warmth.

Then, Derek stood up and held out his hands. Spencer looked up at him with an inquiring expression. "What?"

"Let's dance."

"Dance? Oh, no, no way. I can't dance. Uh-uh, forget it." Spencer vigorously shook his head and waved at him to go away.

"Aw, come on, it's easy. Here, I'll show you." He took Spencer's hands and pulled him up, protesting all the way. He led him to an open area in front of the fireplace, took him in his arms, and began guiding him around in time to the music.

"Derek, no! I'll fall over my own feet-"

"You're doing fine, just follow me."

Derek pulled him close to his own body and hummed along with the song, making a nice little rumble-y buzz against Spencer's ear. He nuzzled his neck, then spoke encouragingly to his reluctant dance partner.

"Just close your eyes, pretty boy... let the music flow through you... see? There, you're getting it. Just relax. Isn't that nice? Feels good, doesn't it, moving together. Feels... real good."

The music was perfect, rocking them easily on gentle waves.

And, the young man he was holding... Well, he was perfect, too. It was as if Spencer's body had been cast from a mold meant to fit against Derek's-warming him, filling in all the empty spaces. As they danced, Derek could feel the moment Spencer broke through his stiffness and hesitation to relax in his arms, to rest his head on Derek's shoulder, warm, trusting, at home at last...

And damn it, he smelled so good. Derek buried his face in the kid's neck, breathing him in, liking the way his thick curls tickled his nose. Now, Spencer was following his steps, no longer resistant, and they moved together in time to the music. A smile crept across Derek's lips and he whispered, "Thought you said you couldn't dance."

Spencer laughed softly. Dancing with Derek was like wrapping himself up in a thick, comfy blanket on a cold night. The man had a tight grip on him-one arm firmly encircled his waist, the other pressed tightly at the small of his back, making sure that every lilt and sway of movement sent little shots of stimuli right into his crotch. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever experienced, and the most romantic, too. He lifted his head and pulled back to look into Derek's eyes.

"I don't think this qualifies as dancing. We haven't left a circle of approximately three feet in diameter in over seven minutes, and I'm making no conscious effort to move whatsoever-you're just sort of pulling me along by sheer force of will."

Morgan chuckled. "That a problem?"

"No. No, it's not... It's-perfect." He settled back into Derek's embrace and listened to the words of the song.

_We're just ordinary people... We don't know which way to go..._

_Just ordinary people..._

_Maybe we should take it slow, take it slow...*_

Take it slow... Spencer had never felt anything so right. He knew he didn't want to be anywhere else, and that there was nothing he'd change about this moment. In spite of his mother's dire warnings about actors, he knew Derek was real, he was solid, and that he could trust him. Whatever doubts he'd had faded away, and he shyly sought Derek's lips for a kiss. Derek stopped dancing and held him even tighter as he kissed back. Then, Spencer pulled away.

He looked down at the floor for a moment, and Derek could tell he was about to say something. He braced himself. He was afraid the kid was going to say something like, "This isn't working out," or, "I really like you, Derek-but..." or, the worst, "We need to talk," but he just stood there, still and quiet, and Derek found that he was holding his breath.

Then, Spencer raised his eyes to Derek's, and he said softy, "Let's go upstairs."

"What?"

Spencer grinned slightly. "You heard me."

Derek's eyes widened. "Oh-oh, Spencer. Really? You want to-"

Spencer nodded.

Derek traced a finger along the line of Spencer's cheek bone, and searched his dark eyes. "Are you sure? I mean, I know I'm a good dancer, but I didn't mean to-"

Spencer laughed out loud. "You didn't mean to what, seduce me? You've been doing that since the day I met you. And, yes, I'm sure. I'm... completely sure." He leaned forward and kissed Derek again, and this time there was no shyness, no hesitation. He smiled, took Derek's hand, and led him to the stairs.

Derek's smile broadened with every step, even as his disbelief fell away. He shook his head, amazed. He'd have to remember this for future reference.

John Legend _rocked._

* * *

*Ordinary People, performed by John Legend

Music and lyrics-John Stephens and Will Adams


	11. Best Night, Ever

**A/N: Hello, all you CM M/R lovers! Sorry to take so long to get this posted, this has just been a busy time for me. Hopefully, I'll be back on track now. FYI, this chapter is about Derek and Spencer's first time to spend the night together. It's not explicit, but, you know-they're not exactly sitting around playing Scrabble or something. Just so you know.**

**Please review, loves! **

* * *

At the top of the stairs, Derek stopped to give Spencer a quick kiss, then took the lead and strode down the hallway. He opened a door and gestured for Spencer to go inside. Spencer smiled and tentatively poked his head in before taking the plunge and walking into Derek's bedchamber.

The master bedroom was a large airy space dominated by a huge bed covered with a gray silk bedspread, lots of pillows, and topped by a substantial wrought-iron headboard. Heavy matching curtains adorned a pair of tall windows on either side of French doors that opened onto a balcony. A bistro table and two chairs were positioned by the railing, overlooking the lavishly landscaped pool area. In the distance, the lights of Hollywood twinkled cheerily, as if to make up for the total absence of stars in the slate-black sky.

"Wow..." Spencer took in the opulent room, ignoring the fact that Derek had already slipped out of his shoes and was beginning to unbutton his shirt. He went out on the balcony, stood by the rail, and took in the nighttime view. Derek followed and slipped his arms around him from behind. Spencer leaned back against him and Derek nuzzled him under his ear.

"Hey, now. Don't get distracted, bed's in there." He didn't bother to move his mouth away from Spencer's skin and the soft movement of his lips tickled the golden hairs on the young professor's neck. He shivered.

"Don't worry, I'm very focused. But, this is so beautiful. Can we have breakfast out here in the morning?"

"Absolutely. Anything you want, babe."

"'Babe?' I guess I've been promoted from 'kid?'" He shot an amused look back at Derek.

"Aw, you'll always be 'kid' to me. But, tonight..." He turned Spencer to face him and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Spencer wrapped his arms around him and eagerly returned the attention. His warm tongue made hot little shocks of desire travel through Derek's entire nervous system, and a moan came up from his throat. Then he pulled away and looked into Spencer's eyes. "Damn. Just... damn." His voice was low and raspy and Spencer could see the need in his eyes.

He pulled away and went back inside.

He stopped in front of the bed, his arms clasped across his chest. He suddenly felt uncertain. The vast expanse of silky gray fabric hid the soft sheets that he knew he would soon be lying on-next to Derek Morgan's sculpted, naked body. The body that he would, eventually, be... under.

What the hell had he gotten himself into? What was he thinking? He wasn't ready for this-

Derek came up and put his hands on his shoulders and squeezed. Spencer was holding his body like a tightly wound guitar string, and Derek could feel the tension across the muscles of his back. He slid his arms around the lanky frame and whispered, "Second thoughts?"

"No... it's just... Derek, I'm not very good at this."

Derek chuckled. "I disagree." He ran his hands over Spencer's chest and belly, then went lower. "I think you're doing just fine."

"No, I mean... I mean, it's been a long time since... since I've been with someone. I guess I'm just, you know-nervous." He turned and looked at Derek with a worried expression.

Derek smiled, and the look in his eyes calmed Spencer. It wasn't an "I wish you'd quit freaking out and get naked already" look, nor was it a "Why the heck am I wasting my time with an emotional wreck?" look. There was only kindness and patience, and-adoration. It was a "We've got all the time in the world, and I'm not going anywhere" look, an "I'm where I want to be" look. Spencer slowly smiled back. Derek brushed a thatch of hair away from Spencer's eyes, then gathered him into a bear-like embrace.

"It's okay. I'm in no hurry. In fact, the longer this night lasts, the better. If it were up to me, I'd make it last forever." They stood there, swaying slightly as if the music from their dance were still in their ears, until Spencer pulled out of Derek's arms. He took a deep breath, caressed Derek's face, then bent down to untie his shoes. He straightened and slowly began to undress.

Derek pulled back the covers on the bed before taking off his clothes. They slipped in, with no words between them, each welcoming the feel of cool sheets, taking in the scent of fresh laundry. They were each alone on one side of the big bed, still miles apart. Derek turned out the lights and scooted in Spencer's direction. Spencer wriggled over toward Derek. They were reaching for one another, trying to contain a swell of excitement at the thought of touching-completely touching-the other's hot, bare skin.

They met somewhere in the middle.

_

* * *

_

The next morning...

Spencer sighed. This was so good. Waking up in Derek's arms, his back wedged in against the muscular chest, breathing in his scent, feeling the warmth and strength of him as he was held tightly and securely-he'd never felt like this before in his life.

And, the night before...

So much better than he'd ever imagined it could be-and, he'd spent quite a bit of time imagining. Their first time together had wrecked every notion the young man had had about what physical pleasure could be. Derek had been gentle, but demanding. He'd used his mouth to tease and tickle at first, then he'd sent Spencer into a state of bliss he'd forgotten even existed. Derek's hands had touched Spencer in all of the best possible places, in all of the best possible ways.

And, when Spencer explored Derek's body with his own hands, he'd felt the raw power harnessed within those taut, strapping muscles, and then, later, he'd felt that power exploding inside himself.

It hadn't been easy for Derek, but he'd taken it slow. He'd been determined not to rush Spencer, to not bring that anxious set to his mouth and that worried look into his eyes. And he hadn't, not once. Instead, he got a soft laugh when his tongue trailed past Spencer's belly button, and low moans when he nipped and lapped at velvety skin over hard flesh.

In return, he got warm fingers reading his skin like Braille, and Spencer's mouth on his neck, his nipples. When Spencer had lain back, offering himself to him, he'd felt the overtaking of every bit of lust and desire that he'd been forcing himself to ignore for so long. But, more than that, he'd felt-joy. And, when they began to move together, their bodies engaged in that most basic, animal-like act, he'd been amazed to find how quickly they transcended it. Been amazed to find a moment of pure light and heat that washed away everything but the other.

And, afterwards, when their first time was over, they'd kissed and clung to each other and talked in whispers, and they thought that maybe they would soon slip off to sleep.

But, instead, they'd discovered that they had just been resting, getting ready for the delicious pleasure of their second time...

Spencer lay contentedly in Derek's arms, replaying the night, careful to lie still and quiet so as not to disturb the man beside him. He wished he and Derek could stay snuggled in that big comfy bed forever.

He also wondered how much longer he could get away with staying in bed without having to get up to pee.

* * *

Derek felt Spencer wake up. He could feel the rhythm of his breathing change, then he felt the warm body arch and stretch against him as he yawned into consciousness. A huge grin crossed Derek's face. He made himself open his eyes, and he took in the tousled hair and the bare shoulder peeking out from under the covers. He instantly tightened his grip on his lover, making Spencer giggle as he futilely tried to turn over.

"Hey, leggo..."

"Never."

"Aw, come on, Derek. I want to look at you."

"All right, but you're not getting away from me-"

"Not trying to." Spencer flipped over so that he could snuggle into Derek's neck, and then he gave him a lazy kiss. "You have to get up soon, don't you?"

"Nope, they told us it'd be a late start today. Something about that meeting yesterday, Gideon's supposed to call me when it's time to come in."

"Mm. Excellent." He planted another drowsy kiss under Derek's jaw and cuddled in. They almost managed to fall back to sleep, but nature called, and they ended up in the shower together.

Later, Gloria brought up a tray with warm buttered croissants, jam, eggs, fruit and coffee, and Derek, clad in a terry-cloth robe, took it from her at the door and carried it out to the balcony. He'd given Spencer a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, and he followed his lover outside to join him at the table.

"Come here." Derek pulled Spencer into a long pre-breakfast kiss and whispered, "Last night was incredible."

'Mm. Yes, it was. You're-amazing." Spencer grinned at him, then ducked his head shyly. "I've never... You made me feel so... Damn it, Derek, why didn't you tell me you were such a genius in bed? Not to mention, in the shower... I can't believe you let me wait so long to discover this!" He laughed and Derek laughed, too.

"Hey, come on. You obviously wouldn't have believed me, you'd of thought I was just bragging. I had to let you get to this point on your own, right?"

"I guess so..." Spencer hugged him, then turned to the breakfast table. He grimaced as he eased himself onto one of the cast-iron chairs, then gratefully took a cup of coffee and sipped it reverently. "Apparently, I'm going to think of you every time I sit down for the next couple of days." He had a rueful smirk on his face and Derek took his seat and reached for Spencer's hand.

"Not my fault-I warned you to let me take my shower alone, but you didn't listen, did you?"

"No, and I'm not sorry-that was wonderful. Look, we have months of self-denial to make up for, or, in my case, years. What's a little discomfort? Last night was the best night of my life. It was... perfect." He entwined his fingers with Derek's, and Derek felt something welling up, big, too big, in his chest. He squeezed Spencer's hand and almost said something he wasn't sure it was yet time to say, when he heard his cell phone ringing on his nightstand.

"Damn it! Excuse me, babe, I better go see about that." He threw his napkin on the table, strode into the bedroom and picked up his phone.

It was Garcia.

"Hey, baby girl."

"Hey-what took you so long to answer?"

"Uh... I was just about to eat breakfast."

"Breakfast? It's seven-thirty in the morning on your morning off. _Why are you awake?"_

"Uh-"

"Oh, my God. You're with someone, aren't you? It better be Amber. Is it Amber?"

"Uh-"

"It's not, is it? Wait a minute... Is it that, that _boy?"_

"Uh-"

"Oh, my God! It is, isn't it? I knew it. I could tell by the way you looked at him that you couldn't keep it in your pants for an entire shoot. God, Derek-it's going to be all over the papers_-Action Star Derek Morgan in Gay Scandal-_we're going to be living under a bridge in Encino..."

"Now, calm down, Pen. I've been super-careful, no one knows anything about it."

"Oh, sure-somebody always does. Look, never mind, this is the least of our worries right now."

"What do you mean?"

"We're shut down."

"Shut down? What do you mean, shut down?"

"The gaffers went on strike."

"Huh?"

"The gaffers, the gaffers. We're going to be shut down until the big-shots and the union work this out, and there's always the chance the camera operators will join in sympathy, then before you know it, the writers'll walk off, then SAG will go along, and then this whole town will be one big fat load of unemployed crap for weeks, maybe months."

"Oh, man-you mean, we don't get paid?"

"Well, as long as your union doesn't strike, you will. I made sure to negotiate that into your contract, because I'm awesome like that. But, if it does, that's all she wrote, paycheck-wise, until they get it resolved."

"Damn. Back to peanut butter and crackers for us, huh, gorgeous?"

"You can live on your looks for a while, choco-hunk. But, you better hope your little professor likes his boy-toy enough to keep you in groceries until the strike ends."

"Ha ha. Uh-oh, now Gideon's calling. I'll talk to you later, sugar."

"Yeah, yeah-just keep Doc Reid under wraps, will you, please? Strike or no strike, no one's going to want to buy Derek Morgan action figures if they come with a tu-tu."

"You really are cold, woman."

"I know. Love you, babe."

Derek clicked over to Gideon's call and received the same bad news about the gaffers. Until further notice, he was out of work.

* * *

"You know, this is actually kind of great." Spencer finished spreading strawberry jam on his croissant with a flourish, and licked a buttery fleck of crust from his fingers. "I'm off for a whole week, too-we could go somewhere together."

"I don't know, babe. Garcia just got finished tearing me a new one about being careful not to be seen with you. I think she might have a heart attack if we were caught buying airline tickets together."

"Well, we could go by car. You have that stunningly effective disguise of yours-"

"Hey, now, it works just fine, it's all in the attitude-"

"-and we could go somewhere where you wouldn't be noticed."

"Not trying to sound big-headed, but where, exactly, would that be?"

Spencer grinned. "My dad has a cabin in Idaho. It's in the woods, really remote. It's about a fifteen hour drive. We could pack up a bunch of provisions ahead of time, only stop for gas, and once we got there, no one would even know we'd come in. What do you think?"

Derek frowned. "I'm not exactly a wilderness cabin kind of guy. I like my electricity and wi-fi, know what I'm sayin'?"

"Oh, there's electricity, we have a generator. And, I think you could live without the internet for a few days, don't you? I-" Just then, inside the bedroom, Spencer's cell phone went off. He frowned, puzzled. No one he knew called him this early unless it was an emergency. "Who could that be. Let me go see-think about the cabin, okay?"

Spencer went to prowl through his discarded clothes to find his phone and checked the number. It was his mother.

"Hi, Mom."

"Good morning, Spencer."

Silence. She sounded stiff and distant, and Spencer suddenly felt scared.

"Mom, what's wrong-are you okay?"

"Yes, at the moment. But-I really need you to come home."

"Home? Wow. I'm, uh, kind of in the middle of, you know-some things, right now. What's going on?"

"Are you with that actor fellow?"

"Oh... uh, yeah, I am."

He heard a sigh. "Well, bring him with you. I'd like to meet him, since you're so enamored of him."

"Mom, actually, we were kind of planning a little vacation out at the cabin. It would be the first time we've had a chance to get away together, and-"

"Spencer, your father is out of town, out of the country, in fact. I really have no one else to turn to. Please, son-bring your boyfriend and come home. I really need you."

"But, why? What's wrong?"

"I know you're not going to believe me, but this is no joke. Spencer-someone is trying to kill me."


	12. Off to Vegas

**Hey, lovely readers! Sorry I've been sluggish getting this updated, this has just been a weirdly busy time lately. **

**The Chit Chat Forum's Profiler's Choice Award nominations have been submitted, and "Hollywood Derek" made it on the list! Squee! If you'd like to vote, head over to the forum and click on the Awards thread. Thanks!**

**Also, I'm thinking this is one of the last couple of chapters of this fic, just so you know-we're in the home stretch! **

**Seds**

* * *

Spencer carefully folded a button-down shirt into a neat rectangle. He placed it in his suitcase, then did the same with another, then another. After adding a couple of t-shirts, he stepped back and regarded his selections with a critical eye. Not knowing how long he was going to be gone made it harder to pack than usual, but he shrugged and threw in a few more pairs of underwear, then zipped the case shut.

He heard a firm rap on his front door, and a grin crossed his face. Somehow, having finally made love with Derek hadn't done a thing to diminish the rush of anticipation Spencer felt at the thought of being in his lover's arms again. He went to the living room and peered through the peep hole to verify that it was, indeed, Derek-in his "disguise"-standing in the hall, then he happily opened the door.

"Hey."

Derek didn't answer, just stepped in, scooped Spencer into his arms and kissed him as he kicked the door shut behind him. Derek took the opportunity to attack Spencer with wet licks and predatory little neck bites that reduced the young doctor to protests, helpless laughter and weak knees. Derek finally took pity on him and pulled away enough to run a hand down the side of Spencer's face, while keeping a tight hold around his waist with the other. He smiled wistfully and said, "Damn, baby-I missed you."

Spencer brushed aside the hair that had drooped into his eyes, regained his equilibrium, and smirked. "You do realize that we've only been apart for 45 minutes, right?"

"I'm sayin'."

Spencer gave an indulgent shake of his head and went in for another kiss before resting his head on Derek's shoulder. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Well, I have to admit-it was an unusually long 45 minutes." Spencer's worry over his mom and the impromptu road trip ahead of them had evaporated, and he was now reminding himself of how amazing Derek's abdominal muscles felt under his hand, and how they had rhythmically flexed against his belly the night before.

Then, it occurred to him that they were wasting valuable time. The sooner they got to Vegas, the sooner they could figure out what needed to be done for his mom, and the sooner they could leave. He hadn't mentioned it to Derek, but he hoped that they might be able to salvage the rest of the week in that wonderfully remote little cabin in Idaho. He had a vision of Derek, warm and naked, on a cream-colored sheep-skin rug in front of a blazing fire, with the northern wind whipping against the walls, and not another human being around for miles.

Forcing himself to take a resolute breath, Spencer abruptly pulled out of Derek's embrace, then turned and went back to gathering up a last few necessities. "Did you get everything?"

"Think so. Water, snacks, checked the oil and put gas in the tank." Derek watched Spencer scurry around the small apartment and sighed. He was actually looking forward to heading out on the road with the top down on his muscle car and his boyfriend beside him, but he didn't like rushing, and he didn't like knowing that Spencer was distracted with worry about his mother.

He could only hope that everything would turn out all right, and that they would soon be able to head off on their own for a little care-free fun. He hadn't mentioned it to Spencer, but he'd gotten Garcia to do some research for him, and she had found a discrete, gay-friendly resort not too far from Vegas that sounded perfect.

He had a vision of himself slathering coconut-scented sunscreen on Spencer's sun-kissed bare skin, and the two of them playing in the warm water of an Olympic-sized swimming pool until their ardor for each other overcame them and they headed up to a luxurious suite, not to be seen or heard from for the rest of the day. And, he knew that the sooner they left, the sooner that was likely to happen, so he gently prodded "Are you ready?" and went to stand by the door.

"Just about. I don't even know how much stuff to pack-I really hope this won't take too long. I love my mom, but this is not the kind of visit I enjoy."

"Does she get like this often?"

"No-it's just that, every once in a while, her medications need to be adjusted. She's on antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, and sometimes they get out of whack. I'm sure I just need to convince her to see her doctor. She hates going so much, I may have to carry her in. But, she probably needs to try a different kind, or maybe it's time for an increase in the dosage."

"She suffers from agoraphobia?"

"Yes, with paranoid tendencies. Sometimes, she gets an idea in her head and just can't let go of it. She usually fixates on my poor dad. For a while, she was convinced that he was having an affair because he bought new underwear without her nagging him to do it. And, for the longest time, she believed he was in the CIA."

"The CIA? What made her think that?"

"Because he travels so much. I said, 'Mom, Dad's a salesman. He travels so he can sell things,' but that didn't divert her at all. She was sure he would be assassinated by black ops on a trip to Des Moines and she'd never hear from him again. That was when we took her off the Paxil and put her on Welbutrin."

Derek stood with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. "So, you don't think there's a chance someone's really out to get her?"

"I highly doubt it."

"Well, what's making her think this way? What happened?"

Spencer was methodically double-checking that all the windows in his apartment were locked, and he answered from the bedroom. "The plant was moved."

"Huh?"

"She has this big cactus in a pot on the front porch and she said someone moved it a quarter of an inch to the right." Spencer came back in the room and gave Derek a wry grin. "Clearly a terroristic threat."

"That's all?"

"No, she also spotted a cigarette butt on the ground under the side window. I suggested that perhaps the meter reader left it there, but she assured me he doesn't smoke. Also, there were a couple of hang-up calls. And-she has a 'feeling.' All in all, not what I'd call a crisis situation. Even so, we'd better get going."

Derek stepped out into the hall, still frowning, and waited while Spencer grabbed his bag and then locked up. His brief but intense career in law enforcement had taught him a few things about human instinct, and he couldn't believe this was the whole story. "So-that's it? She really thinks those tiny little incidents mean that someone's trying to kill her?"

Spencer headed on downstairs as he talked. "My mom's whole life is in that house. She observes everything that goes on around there. If anything-_anything_-changes, she sees it, and, unfortunately, when she's in a state like this, her mind's likely to weave it into something ominous." Spencer stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked back at Derek.

"There is one thing that did disturb me, though. She said that yesterday she saw a man sitting in a parked car, and that he seemed to be staring at the house. I asked her what he looked like, but he was too far away. All she could tell me was that he was a white guy."

"Did she call the police?"

"As a matter of fact, she did, but they just sent a cruiser to drive around the neighborhood, and of course they didn't see anything." He bit his lip thoughtfully. "I'm sure it's probably nothing."

"Yeah, but-what about what's-his-name, Tobias? You don't think he might be trying to get to you by messing with your mom's head?"

Spencer shot him a dismissive grimace before walking toward Derek's car. "Why would he do that? He knows where I am, why would he bother to lure me to Vegas?"

"The cops know this is familiar territory for him-he had to get out of town to avoid getting caught again. Plus, maybe he figures he can cause you more grief this way."

"Seems a little far-fetched."

"Still-maybe you ought to call those FBI agents, just let them know we're heading out there."

Spencer pondered the thought as he climbed into the passenger seat. "You really think I should?"

"Couldn't hurt."

"I guess not. Okay, I will." He pulled out his wallet, found the business card Agent Rossi had given him and punched in the number.

"Rossi here."

"Agent Rossi? This is Spencer Reid..." Spencer gave Rossi a rundown on his mom's situation, and to his surprise, found him to be very interested in this new development.

"Thank you for calling, Dr. Reid. Sounds like Agent Jarreau and I may need to make a trip to Vegas. Please don't worry-if Hankel does have anything to do with this, we'll catch him."

"All right. Well, thank you." Spencer lowered his phone and gave Derek a worried glance. "He took it pretty seriously. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm discounting Mom's concerns prematurely."

"It's okay. We'll be there in less than five hours. Call her up, then check in on her every so often, it'll make you feel better."

"Yeah." With that, Spencer made the first of several calls to his mom that maintained calming contact between them on their way to her house.

* * *

When Derek and Spencer pulled up to William and Diana Reid's Vegas home, they could see an anxious female figure standing before a picture window. One arm was across her waist, the other at her throat. She watched them park, frowning until she had ascertained that her son was in the passenger seat. Then, a huge smile crossed her face and she waved enthusiastically as they made their way to the front door.

"Oh, thank God, you're finally here. Spencer, come in, let me hug you. Good lord, look at you-you're so pale and thin. Is it just not possible to consume a healthy meal in Hollywood anymore? Or, is the film industry draining the life out of you? I told you-"

"Mom, please, I'm fine-you're the one I'm worried about. And, I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is-"

"Derek Morgan. Yes, I've done a little research. My, you're much taller in person. So-you're the fellow who's taken to fornicating with my son, is that right?" She held out an elegant hand to Derek and he mechanically took it while stammering, "Wh-what? Uh-no, ma'am. I mean, well-kind of, but I don't think we're exactly -"

"Mom! Stop it, you said you'd be nice." Spencer gave his mother a reproving glare and she returned him an impish grin.

"I'm sorry, but I've never met one of your love interests before. I'm so delighted, I hardly know how to behave. Please-come in, sit down. Let's have some tea-I'll get Angela to bring in the hot water. She's the girl that helps me these days," she explained.

Mrs. Reid ushered them into her living room. It was lovely, with handsome, well-cared for furniture, over-filled bookcases, and art on the walls. Framed photographs were grouped on every surface.

Derek picked up one of a decidedly nerdy twelve-year-old Spencer, sporting thick glasses and a bad haircut as he happily displayed his high school diploma. A man Derek assumed to be Spencer's dad had a proud smile on his face and an arm around the boy's thin shoulders. Derek grinned; whatever challenges life had thrown at Mr. and Mrs. Reid, they had managed to produce one damn fine son. He glanced over at Spencer, who was now listening with a frown as his mother reprised her list of death-threat clues. She was pointing outside toward the cactus plant, and Derek could see a ring of dirt that indicated that the plant really had been moved.

A gleaming antique tea service was waiting for them on the coffee table, and Mrs. Reid's care-giver brought in the teapot filled with steaming hot water. She placed a plate of sugar cookies to the side and a small vase filled with flowers in the middle of the table. Spencer and Derek took seats on the couch, and Spencer noted that everything would have been perfect for entertaining, except that his mother was wearing fuzzy blue house slippers, had a ratty bath robe on over her night gown, and her hair stuck up in tufts as if she hadn't bothered to comb it that morning.

Spencer gave her a delicate look. "No time for a shower today, Mom?"

"Oh, Spencer, if you think I'm going to get into a shower with that, that psycho on the loose, you've got another think coming. No, thank you. I want to be out here where I can keep an eye on things." She reached under the chair she was sitting in and brought out a baseball bat. "I'm ready; it's his move, now."

Spencer glanced at Derek. "Has anything else happened? Any more phone calls? Have you seen that suspicious car again?"

"No, no, nothing today. He knows I'm onto him. I imagine he'll try something tonight, when he thinks we're all sleeping." Mrs. Reid's eyes narrowed and she brandished the bat. "He'll be in for a surprise, though, let me tell you."

Derek shifted uncomfortably. "Mrs. Reid-"

"Please, call me Diana."

"Uh... Diana. You have spoken to the police?"

"Oh, yes. Fat lot of help they are. They said to call them if anything happens. Right." She snorted in derision, propped the bat beside her and sipped her tea.

"Mom-okay, let's say this guy did check out the house. What makes you so sure he wants to kill you? Maybe he's just a garden-variety burglar."

Mrs. Reid shook her head. "Oh, no. It's nothing as simple as that. Believe me, son, that was my first thought as well. But, he's being too careful, too meticulous, and it's taking too long. No, this is bigger than that. Somebody wants me dead. I can feel it."

"Who wants you dead, Mrs.-I mean, Diana?"

For the first time, Mrs. Reid's feistiness seemed to falter. "I-I don't know." She ran a hand through her hair and looked down at the floor. "I've been going over and over it in my mind-and I really can't imagine. I was hoping you could help me figure it out, Spencer. I was also hoping you'd be able to contact your father. I-I just can't seem to get a hold of him." The woman suddenly looked exhausted, and Spencer went to sit on the arm of her chair. He took her hand and said gently, "Dad's out of the country, Mom. He's in Hong Kong. You know there are all kinds of complications with international calling. But, I'll get through to him. And, we're going to figure this out. Don't worry, okay?"

"You don't think I'm crazy, do you?" Mrs. Reid looked up at Spencer with a worried look.

"No, I don't. But, I do think you need to take a shower and get some rest. Derek and I are here now, so you can relax. We'll keep an eye on the street and I'll work on contacting Dad." He leaned down and kissed his mother on the forehead, and she nodded.

"All right, son. I'll do that." She grabbed her baseball bat, stood up and smiled at them. "Thanks for coming, guys. Not everyone would drop everything and come out here at a moment's notice. You're both wonderful, and I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Mom."

Spencer watched his mother stride down the hall toward her bedroom, bat over her shoulder, then he turned to Derek and raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

"She doesn't seem to be delusional or irrational. Maybe she's just a little lonely. Needs some attention, you know?"

Spencer nodded. "Maybe. I'm going to try calling my father. Maybe he'll have some insight. But, you're right-she seems fine, except for being genuinely scared about something happening. We may end up just hanging out here for a couple of days until we're sure she's stable.

"Then... I was thinking-maybe we could head out to the cabin for the rest of the week." Spencer turned a hopeful look and dazzling smile on Derek, and the actor found himself nodding weakly, his vision of coconut-scented sun-screen, gourmet meals, and high-thread-count sheets suddenly going "poof."

* * *

Neither man happened to be looking out the window when the nondescript black sedan eased down the street to the end of the block and turned, then headed for the alley behind Mrs. Reid's house.


	13. Armed, Dangerous

**A/N: Oh, lordy, this is a long chapter. It's also the next-to-last chapter! We meet Hotch in this one, and Elle Greenaway appears as a police officer. Aaaand, of course, Spencer gets shot. So, please review, dears! Kiss, kiss.**

**Seds**

* * *

Spencer sat down in an easy chair and began the arduous process of trying to put through an international call to his father. He hated to disturb him with vague worries, but he needed to know if his mom had already been acting strangely before he left.

Tired from driving, Derek got comfortable by stretching out on the couch. He draped an arm across his eyes, and took a deep, calming breath. He was glad that the situation was, so far, not at all a crisis. He liked Mrs. Reid, and had already begun comparing her eyes, skin tone and bone structure to her son's, and he could see where the young man had gotten at least some of his good looks. And, happily, he now had reason to hope that they would be able to have a good visit with her, yet still get away fairly quickly.

He started to relax, but more thoughts crowded in-the unfinished film, the strike, and what would happen if it went on too long. Garcia's dire warnings about his having a relationship with another man. And, Spencer-most of all, Spencer. He lifted his arm and peeked at his lover. Spencer had his hand thrust into a tangle of long, lank hair and his face was screwed up in a grimace of frustration, but as far as Derek was concerned, he looked like nothing so much as a seriously annoyed angel.

"Problems, pretty boy?"

Spencer poked an icon on his phone and put it down. "Oh, it's ridiculous. My dad's company is on some weird cut-rate calling plan and I can't get through. But, I managed to leave him a message, so maybe he'll call back soon."

"Come here."

Spencer cast a suspicious frown at him. "Why?"

"Cuddle. Come on, Spencer, your mom's in the shower, we have a couple of minutes, and I want to be close to you." Derek held out his arms, gave Spencer a pleading, puppy-eyed look, and Spencer laughed.

"Oh, all right." He lay down next to Derek on the couch and they snuggled up for a kiss. Suddenly, Spencer pulled away, his eyes wide. Derek looked at him, puzzled.

"What?"

"The snacks!"

"Huh?"

"The snacks, we bought $40 worth of junk food to tide us over, remember? It needs to be brought inside immediately!"

"Why?"

"Derek, it's a hundred and five degrees out there, the gummi worms'll melt! And, there's chocolate, too-give me the keys, I'll go get it."

"No, no, just sit down-I'll do it. Might as well get our bags while I'm at it. You stay here in case your mom needs something."

An amazed smile of gratitude replaced the look of concern on Spencer's face. "Oh, wow, you're sweet. Okay-thanks."

Derek pressed a kiss on Spencer's lips, then got up and went out to the car to unload. He didn't mind the chore. If he could bring a grin like that to his boy's face just by dragging in a few bags, he'd do it in a heartbeat, every single time.

* * *

Diana Reid stepped out of the shower, toweled dry and put on her robe. She went into her bedroom and selected an outfit; slacks, and the soft, flowing blouse she saved for special occasions. She dressed, and thought about her son.

Apart from his obvious attempts to starve himself to death, Spencer looked better than he had in a long time. He looked-happy. And, as much as she was reluctant to admit it, the _actor _was clearly responsible for much of that happiness. He wasn't at all as she had expected-he was a solid person, kind and caring, she could tell that immediately. He was also intelligent, thank God. And, the way he looked at her Spencer... she smiled. It was good. Spencer was going to be okay.

All she had to do was to figure out how to work a grandchild or two into the mix, and she could officially quit worrying about her only son's future.

She bent down to fish her shoes out from under the bed, and as she straightened, an arm went around her neck and a cloth with a chemical smell was pressed against her nose and mouth. The breath she took to power a scream brought the ether fully into her lungs and she passed out before she could make a sound.

* * *

Derek was half-in and half-out of his car, hanging shopping bags on one arm in hopes of only needing to make a couple of trips into the house, when a police car pulled up directly behind him. A female cop got out of the driver's side and strode up to him. Derek came out of the car and nodded at her. She nodded back.

"Good afternoon, sir. What brings you here today?"

Derek took a step forward and glanced at the woman's badge. Officer Elle Greenaway was slim and petite, but she had an authoritative swagger about her that put Derek's alpha male on edge.

"Is there a problem?"

Officer Greenaway pulled herself up a little taller. "Actually, I've had a report of a suspicious car in the area. I don't recognize you or your vehicle, sir, and you have out-of-state tags. Now, please state your business."

"I'm here with a friend, visiting his mother, Mrs. Diana Reid. Ma'am."

The officer eyed the full back seat of Derek's car and gave him an up-and-down glance.

"May I see your identification, please?"

Derek's teeth clenched. He didn't want to identify himself, here on a trip with his boyfriend. In spite of its close proximity to Vegas, the town of Hadley, NV was a small community, and a celebrity visitation resulting in a run-in with a cop would quickly be big news. Derek cleared his throat and tried for a charming smile.

"Now, ma'am, I understand that you're just doing your job. But, I'm not doing anything wrong. My friend's right inside with his mom, she hasn't been feeling well, and I really don't see why-"

"It's a simple request, sir. You do _have _ID, don't you?" Officer Greenaway maintained an accommodating smile.

"Yes, ma'am, I do. But, I have to wonder, would you be asking me this if I were white?"

The officer's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting this is racially motivated?"

"I'm just asking a question."

"Sir, please present your ID immediately, or-"

Just then, a shot cracked through the quiet of the desert air.

* * *

Spencer's phone rang, and he saw it was his father. He hastily slid the icon to "talk."

"Hi, Dad-where are you?"

"Hi, Spencer! I'm in Taiwan, now. It's crazy around here. I see you've been trying to get a hold of me, I'm sorry it's been so difficult. Is everything all right?"

"It's mom. She's kind of freaking out." He quickly went over the issues, and his dad was quiet for a moment.

"Put her on the phone, son. I think if I talk to her, I'll be able to tell if she needs to see her doctor, or if she's just worked herself into a state."

"Okay. I'll see if she's out of the shower."

Spencer went down the hall toward his mother's bedroom. It was a large house with a dog-leg turn into another wing, and as Spencer made the corner, he saw a man in a black hoodie walking with an unconscious Diana Reid slung over his shoulder.

Spencer's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Hey! Put her down!"

The man looked up and Spencer saw that it was Tobias Hankle. He had a glassy look in his eyes and he squinted when he saw Spencer. Recognition dawned and he gawked for a moment.

"Aw, man-what the hell are you doing here?"

"Put her down! What did you do to her? What's the matter with you, Toby? What are you doing?"

"She's fine, just out of it for a while. Get out of the way, Spencer."

"Are you crazy? Do you really think I'm going to let you leave here with my mom?"

Tobias looked uncertain for a moment, then he scrabbled in his pocket and brought out a gun. "Just get out of the way. I'm not going to hurt her."

Spencer stared at the gun. He'd never been face-to-face with one before, and he swallowed hard. He tried to keep his voice steady.

"Put that gun down. You're being stupid."

"Stupid? Oh, sure, you always did think I was too dumb for you. Boy, you didn't hesitate to dump me when I didn't live up to your standards of intelligence, did you?"

"You were doing drugs! Of course I dumped you, did you really think I'd be okay with that?"

Tobias brandished the gun. "Just get out of the way, your mom's going to be fine, as long as you don't mess things up."

"I'm not moving, Toby. Put the gun away, put my mom down, and let's talk this out."

"No! I hate you, Spencer, you're a jerk! You got me thrown in jail-"

"Apparently, you were doing all sorts of illegal things! And, you ripped me off! What was I supposed to do?"

"You never loved me, did you?"

"I-" Spencer stared at the young man and took a deep breath. "I never said I did. Things got out of hand between us, Toby. You assumed too much. Now, please, let's stop this. You need help, I can talk to some people, and-"

"No! You're not screwing things up for me again! Now, move, or I swear I'll shoot." He held the gun up higher, and Spencer could see his hand was trembling.

"Toby. I'm not letting you leave with her." He took a step forward, and the gun went off.

* * *

"Spencer..." Derek said it quietly, but his mind was screaming his lover's name. Derek turned and broke into a run, heading back into the Reid house. Officer Greenaway shouted, "Stop! Do _not_ go in there!" but he bounded up the steps and was inside before she finished speaking. She followed him, gun drawn. "Come back here right now!"

At that moment, an SUV with government plates pulled up. It parked across the street, and agents Rossi and Jarreau checked the address and got out. JJ frowned.

"What's that police car doing here? And, look-that's Derek Morgan's car. Come on, I think something's happened."

Rossi followed her with a raised eyebrow. "You actually know what kind of car he drives?"

JJ shrugged, ran up to the front door and knocked. "FBI! Open up, please." Rossi joined her, and when no one answered, they drew their weapons and went in. They crept through the empty front room and heard voices down the hall.

"I'm gonna kill the bastard!" They recognized Derek's.

"No, Derek-stop!" Spencer's voice.

A howl of pain quickly followed, and the agents rushed around the corner and found Spencer slumped against the wall, holding his left arm. It was soaked in blood. A cell phone lay off to the side transmitting a frantic male voice.

A woman they assumed to be Mrs. Reid was lying on the floor, being checked by a female uniformed police officer. Derek Morgan was poised in an offensive stance with a gun in his hand. It was trained on Tobias Hankel. He was cowering on his knees with his hands in the air, and he had blood running from the side of his mouth, down his chin and onto his shirt.

"Please! I didn't mean to shoot him! Don't kill me, God!"

"Listen, you little coward, I ought to beat the crap out of you! What kind of man knocks out a defenseless woman, then shoots an unarmed man?"

"I didn't hurt her! And, I was just trying to scare him, I swear! He started coming at me, and the gun went off-I never shot anyone in my whole life, oh, my God..."

"What the hell is going on here?" Rossi demanded, holding up his badge.

Officer Greenaway stood up. "I'm not sure myself, but this creep shot the kid there, and was attempting to kidnap this woman. He used medical-grade ether to knock her out. This guy," she gestured at Derek, "disarmed him and used the perp's own pistol to subdue him. Nice work, by the way." She stood up and clamped a pair of handcuffs onto Hankel's wrists while reciting his Miranda rights to him.

Derek was now gathering Spencer into his arms. "Spencer, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is my mom all right?"

"Once the ether wears off, she should be."

"Thank God." He managed bend down to grab his phone, then began explaining the situation to his agitated father.

Officer Greenaway strode up to Derek, grabbed a wrist, and put a second pair of handcuffs on him. "You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent-"

"Hey! What the hell-"

"I'm going to have to take you downtown."

"On what charges?" Spencer demanded.

"Refusal to cooperate with a peace officer. He wouldn't show me his ID, and he failed to comply with a direct order. I had to pursue him inside here."

"I was afraid my boyfriend had just got shot!" Derek said loudly. Everyone stared and for a moment there was total silence.

Then Agent Jarreau walked up to him. "Oh... Oh, Derek-you're... gay?" She looked utterly grief-stricken.

He looked at her, then at the startled expressions all around him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm gay. I'm also in love with Spencer Reid, and I'm sick of hiding that fact. If the movie-going public can't handle it, then, too bad. Easy come, easy go, right? I'll just go back to law enforcement or something."

"Derek..." Spencer stood in front of him, his eyes shining through his pain. "You're in love with me?"

Derek chaffed at his handcuffs. "Yeah. I was going to wait for a little more of a private moment to say that to you, but-yeah. I love you, pretty boy."

Spencer wrapped his good arm around Derek and leaned in to whisper in his ear. No one could make out the words he said, but judging by the size of Derek's smile, there was little doubt that they were, "I love you, too."

Agent Jarreau gestured at Derek and spoke to Officer Greenaway. "I realize the citizen failed to comply with local law enforcement, but under the circumstances, I think it was justified. If he hadn't intervened in this situation, Hankel could have done a lot more damage. He's wanted by the FBI, and we'll be needing Mr. Morgan as a material witness. It would certainly facilitate things if we could avoid a trip to the police station."

Officer Greenaway looked from JJ to Derek to Rossi, considering. She finally shrugged and unlocked the cuffs. "So, who are you, anyway?" she asked Derek.

"I'm Derek Morgan. The actor?" She looked at him blankly. Derek pursed his lips, annoyed. "Damn, woman, don't you go to the movies?"

She shook her head, mystified, then turned her attention to Spencer. She tore away his sleeve, examined his wound, then announced, "Okay, this is a relatively minor injury, the bullet just took out a chunk of flesh. But, you need to have it taken care of right away. I'll be happy to give you a ride to the hospital, if you'd like."

Spencer glanced over at Derek, who was rubbing his wrists. He looked up and gave him an assuring smile.

"Go with the officer, Spencer. I'll stay here with your mom."

"All right. Thank you. Thanks, everyone." Spencer and Hankel looked at each other for a moment, then Rossi and JJ each took one of Hankel's arms and started leading him out to the SUV.

"What's going on here?" A new voice came from the end of the hallway. A tall, dark-haired man with a severe expression on his face was standing there. "Tobias-my God, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"I screwed up, Mr. Hotchner." He dropped his head and whispered, "I guess I shouldn't of gotten so loaded before I came over here, huh?"

"Who are you?" Rossi asked.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner. I'm an attorney. I represented Mr. Hankel in his appeal."

"You got this freak out on the streets again?" Derek demanded.

Hotch shifted uncomfortably. "There's been a terrible misunderstanding. Tobias is working for me. Whatever's happened, I'm sure it wasn't intentional."

Derek looked as if he were about to blow up. "He shot my boy here, after knocking out his mom and attempting to kidnap her! How was any of that not intentional?"

Hotch gave a horrified glance toward Spencer's bloodied arm and looked past Hankel to see Derek holding Mrs. Reid in his arms, stopped on his way to laying her on her bed.

"Oh, good lord. Tobias, what did you do?"

"I was just trying to get her out of here for your meeting." He glanced at Spencer. "She's got agoraphobia or some damn thing. I knew she wouldn't come willingly, so-I knocked her out. I figured by the time she woke up, we'd be at your office in downtown Vegas."

Hotch stared at him. "And, you thought she'd just wake up, happy to be in a high-rise office building among complete strangers? Tobias, you told me you knew Ms. Sweets personally."

"Sweets?" Rossi asked. "Who is Ms. Sweets?"

"That's my mom's _nom de plume," _Spencer answered. "She wrote a series of science fiction stories several years ago.

"Yes," Hotch continued. "There was a film made of one of them-_From Earth to Oblivion._ A classic."

"So, what's all that got to do with anything?" Derek asked.

Hotch sighed. "It's a long story. But, you should probably know that I work for Damon Steinberg."

_"Damon Steinberg?" _This was echoed by everyone except Officer Greenaway, who was looking even more perplexed.

"Yes. _From Earth to Oblivion _was the movie that inspired Mr. Steinberg to get into the sci-fi genre in the first place. He's always wanted to do a proper re-make of it, give it the treatment that modern technology finally made possible. He's tried numerous times to persuade Ms. Sweets to sign over the rights to him, but he's never had any luck."

"But, how did you get involved with Tobias Hankel?" Rossi asked.

"I actually was involved in the original case against Hankel. I testified as an expert witness regarding the impact of film piracy on the economy of the industry. Later, Hankel apparently read an article about Mr. Steinberg's efforts regarding _From Earth_. He contacted me, and said he had a close relationship with Ms. Sweets' son, and that he believed he could set up a meeting with her for me, if he had his freedom. This was a very promising development, so I looked into Hankel's case. I could see there was room in his sentence for an appeal, so I decided to represent him."

"Wasn't that a bit of a conflict of interest?" JJ asked.

"I took the case pro bono. And, it seemed like an opportunity for Tobias to give something back to the industry from which he'd taken so much."

"Wait a minute." Spencer was frowning, trying to make his mind work linearly again. "You're saying Toby claimed he could arrange for you to have a meeting with my mom, so that you could talk her into signing over the rights to her book?"

"Yes."

"So, this wasn't about revenge against me?" Spencer turned and looked at Hankel. He shook his head.

"I know you think I'm stupid, Spencer, but I'm not. I remembered everything you ever told me. I knew your mom wrote that book, and I knew her fake name and her real name, and that she lived in Vegas. I knew she didn't want to go through all the publicity and stuff, and that she was afraid to go outside, and that she would never agree to meet with anyone. That's why I snuck in and knocked her out. So I could get her to the meeting."

"But, she still would never agree to sign over the rights to her book!" Spencer exclaimed. "What good would it have done?"

"I was going to offer her a great deal of money for the opportunity," Hotchner said quietly.

"You were going to threaten to fire Spencer's boyfriend, too!" Hankel said, accusingly. Mouths dropped, and all eyes turned to Hotchner.

"Only as a last resort." Hotchner gave everyone a grim look. "It's show business, people. The competition is fierce. You do what you have to do."

Officer Greenaway shook her head. "Come on, Dr. Reid. You need to get that wound attended to." She ushered him out to her squad car.

Rossi handled taking Hankel out to the SUV, with Hotchner in tow. JJ stayed behind for a moment, looking at Derek with a combination of sorrow and admiration.

"Wow. So, you disarmed Hankel like a pro, huh?"

"I used to _be_ a pro. Some things you never forget."

"I'm sorry about your-about Dr. Reid. I had no idea."

"Yeah, well. How disturbing is it that this Hotchner guy knew about him and me all this time? I thought we were being so careful to keep it on the down-low."

"Someone always figures these things out." She sighed and started to head outside.

"Agent Jarreau?"

JJ turned and gave him an inquiring look. "Yes?"

"I guess you're not a fan of mine anymore, are you?"

She frowned, shook her head and walked back to him. "Not a fan? Why, just because you're gay?"

Derek nodded.

JJ glanced down at the floor for a moment, then looked up at him. "That doesn't matter at all to me. You're a wonderful actor, and you're amazingly hot. I don't care about your personal life. All I know is that when I see you on the screen, I can forget my troubles for a little while and live in the world you've created. That's a gift, Derek Morgan. It's a gift I thank you for." She stretched up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And, I can't wait to see what you do next." She patted his arm before heading out to join Rossi.

Derek smiled a little. Then, he heard Diana Reid's weak voice in her bedroom.

"Spencer? Hello? Anyone?"

He went and stood in the doorway. "Hi, Diana. How are you feeling?"

"Groggy. I don't like it." She sat up slowly and looked at Derek. "What happened? I thought... You know, for a minute, I thought someone was here in the room with me, and I got really scared." She ran a hand through her hair. "I think Spencer's right, I am going crazy."

Derek chuckled. "No, you're not. You were dead on. There _was_ someone in the room with you." He pulled over a chair and straddled it so that he could look into Mrs. Reid's eyes. "His name is Tobias Hankel, and he used to know Spencer." He related the whole story. Mrs. Reid's eyes were round with horror, and she had one hand clamped over her mouth by the time he was finished.

"Oh, my God! My Spencer's a hero! And, so are you! Thank you, Derek. Thank you for saving him."

"Well, I don't think Spencer was actually in mortal danger-Hankel's not a killer. He's a messed up guy and probably belongs behind bars for a good long time, but he didn't intend to hurt you, or Spencer. Shooting him was an accident."

"Even so. I'm glad you were here."

"Me, too."

Mrs. Reid looked around uncertainly, then at Derek. "I'm hungry."

"Well-maybe we can order a pizza when Spencer gets back. In the mean time, I've got $40 worth of junk food melting in the car."

"Mm. Let's have a look in the pantry." Mrs. Reid gave a warm smile and stood up, still a little unsteady on her feet. Derek gave her an arm to hang on to, and they made their way to the kitchen to dig up a snack.


	14. CinderSpencer

**A/N: I am SO sorry to take so long to get back to this. The holidays got me way off-track. Happy 2011, by the way! Ok, so this is the next-to-last chapter, guys-hope you enjoy it. Reviews are like tiny little kittens just waking up from a nap...**

**Seds**

* * *

Later that evening, Derek went to the hospital to retrieve Spencer from the emergency room. He brought him back to his mother's house, gave him some dinner, then put him to bed with a dose of pain medication and an extra pillow to cradle his arm. He leaned down, gave Spencer a gentle kiss and whispered, "Good night, kid. Holler if you need anything," and pulled the covers up over him. He started to walk out of the room, but heard a plaintive, "Derek? Where are you going?" He turned and looked back. Spencer was pale; he looked tired, and seemed to almost disappear among the pile of covers and pillows.

Derek leaned on the door frame and answered firmly. "Your mom made up the other guest room for me. At my request."

"Why?"

Derek smiled. He came back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're hurt. I want you to get a good night's sleep, and if I were to share a bed with you, I might disturb you."

"Oh, bull. You're just scared of my mom."

Derek laughed. "Hey, I got news for you, man, she _loves _me! She gave me permission to, let's see, how did she put it-oh, yeah, to 'defile her son to my heart's content.'"

"Oh, she did, did she?"

"Yes, she did."

Spencer gave a derisive snort. "I can't tell you how delightful it is, knowing that my mother's given her blessing for you to have sex with me. Even so, while I don't think I'm up for being defiled tonight, I do want to sleep with you." He patted the bed beside him with his good arm. "Please, Derek? I've been looking forward to lying next to you again. It's a habit I want to get into." He gave a sleepy grin, the kind that took Derek's breath away. He gave Spencer another soft kiss, then nodded.

"All right, baby. If you're sure. But, if I bother you, just say the word and I'll go to the other room."

"Oh, I will. But, you won't."

Derek chuckled and went to get ready for bed. By the time he returned, Spencer was sound asleep, and Derek quietly slid in under the covers next to him.

* * *

That night, Spencer dreamed. It was probably the medication combined with the lingering stress of the day, but he tossed around and at one point, he cried out in his sleep. Derek gathered him close, careful of his wound, and held him until he settled down again. When morning came, Spencer found himself in Derek's arms.

It was still so new to him, to come to consciousness with his cheek resting on the warmth of Derek's chest, to find his body wedged against Derek's solid frame. And, it was such a precious gift to open his eyes and see Derek's handsome face relaxed in slumber. Spencer smiled and, without thinking, reached up to stroke his cheek, then winced when a red-hot bolt of pain traveled from the wound in his arm to his shoulder and throughout his chest.

"You okay, pretty boy?" Derek whispered. He knew the pain meds would have worn off by now; he gently rolled Spencer away from him, got up, and padded to the bathroom to fetch another dose and a cup of water.

Spencer took the pain reliever without protest and sighed. "This sucks."

Derek chuckled and put an arm around Spencer's good side. "Yes, it does. But, it could have been worse, a hell of a lot worse. If that clown had shot a couple of inches over... Well, I'm not even going to think about that." He caught Spencer's mouth in a warm kiss, then tousled his hair. "When I saw you were hurt, I just about lost my mind."

"I noticed. Poor Toby looked completely terrified. I really thought you were going to put him in the hospital."

"Oh, 'poor Toby,' my ass! Look, do me a favor and never mention that slug's name in my presence again, okay? It makes me want to slam things around. A lot."

Spencer pressed a quick kiss onto Derek's lips and smiled. "Well, I'm just glad you showed up when you did. And, I'm sorry we couldn't... you know, make love last night."

"That's okay. Don't worry-as soon as that arm's better, we'll make up for it, big time. You wait and see-your mama'll be proud."

"God, Derek! Will you stop mentioning my mom and sex in the same sentence?" Spencer rolled his eyes, then glanced toward the bathroom. He desperately needed to clean up and change clothes. "Um... hey, I'm going to need a little help getting showered and dressed. Could you...?"

Derek gave him a pleased smile. "Not a problem, babe. I'm your man." He held out his arm and Spencer slipped under it and leaned against him.

Spencer closed his eyes and said softly, "That you are, Derek Morgan. That you are."

* * *

They stayed for three days. They rested, spent time sitting in the Reid family living room, chatting and laughing, and Derek took advantage of the opportunity to not only get to know Mrs. Reid, but to wangle stories from her about Spencer as a child, much to Spencer's embarrassment. On the plus side, Spencer was assured that his mom was going to be all right, and he was happy to learn that his dad had cut short his sales trip and was on his way home.

But, before he arrived, Derek received a phone call-the strike was over. He was needed on the set immediately. Their little oasis of quiet time together came to an abrupt end, and Spencer and Derek headed back to Hollywood.

_

* * *

Eight months later..._

Eight months is a long time in Hollywood terms. Many Tinseltown relationships begin and end in half that time, or even less. Such were Spencer's thoughts as he perched on the edge of the bed he now shared with Derek Morgan. At least, he did when Derek was home. Which hadn't been very often, lately.

Spencer still hadn't given up his university-area apartment. He'd told Derek it was because he had a two-year lease, plus, it was so convenient when he had early classes. But, the real reason was that he had doubts-serious doubts-about how long his and Derek's relationship could endure.

It wasn't that he didn't love Derek. God, he did; he loved him with all his heart, and he would have done anything for him.

And, it wasn't that he didn't think Derek loved him. He felt it in his soul that he did. He could see it in his eyes, and feel it in the way Derek held him, the way he touched him, not just when they were making love, but in those rare moments when they could just collapse on the couch together to watch television, or when Derek slipped an arm around him as he spoke on the phone to one reporter or another.

No, love wasn't the issue. It was time.

Time was a bastard, as his mother always said, and now, he knew she was right. Not enough time. Too much time. The wrong time. For him and Derek, it was all of the above.

Once the strike broke, Damon Steinberg pushed his crew, everyone, from grips to sound techs to actors, like a whip-bearing foreman driving a row of galley slaves. He had Jason Gideon pulling his hair out, and Derek and his co-star, Amber Henley, were on constant studio call, in case something needed to be re-shot, or the exterior light happened to be just right.

Steinberg was determined to perform a miracle, and perform it he did-his movie (now titled _The Cherenkov Effect_, thanks to Spencer) was finished and distributed just in time to qualify for that year's Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Academy Award nominations. It was a huge hit, breaking box office records for its first three weeks in theaters, which led to even more demands for Derek to appear as a guest on talk shows, morning shows and film retrospectives, usually accompanied by Amber. He was sometimes gone for days at a time, and Penelope had been sure to feed plenty of grist to the Hollywood publicity mill regarding their off-screen love affair.

Spencer had had no idea how hard it would be to see pictures of them hanging on each other, staring up at him from the tabloids as he stood in line at the grocery store. He knew their "relationship" was a sham, but nothing changed the fact that it was _she_ who was with Derek, traveling beside him, going to dinner with him, staying in the same luxury hotels, while Spencer was at home, alone.

And now, tonight, came the culmination of all that insanely hard work and pressure-_The Cherenkov Effect _had received numerous nominations for a Saturn Award, including one for Derek as Best Actor, and he was getting dressed to attend the show. With Amber.

He wasn't happy about it. He turned to Spencer, his lips twisted into a grim snarl.

"I'm going to call in sick."

Spencer grinned. "It's just a guess, but I suspect that, in Hollywood, having a nominee call in sick to a prestigious awards presentation is considered bad form." Spencer, wearing baggy plaid sleep pants and a t-shirt, was engrossed with watching Derek dress. Penelope had informed him that he had to wear a tux, and Derek hated wearing a tux. They made him feel like the little plastic groom on a wedding cake. But, he'd manfully donned the hated attire and was down to the finishing touch-the bow tie.

He'd been struggling with the damn thing for five minutes, but each try ended in a misshapen mess, and his frustration level was rising with every attempt.

Spencer shook his head in amusement. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"No, I most certainly do not. Penelope always took care of stupid stuff like this for me." Derek made one last effort to pull the loop out of the knot in the middle, then ripped the tie off of his neck and waved it impatiently at Spencer. "Do _you_ know how to tie these frickin' things?"

"I do."

Derek huffed. "Well, then-think you could give me a hand over here?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Spencer got up and made Derek face the mirror and sit down. Then, he slipped his arms around Derek's neck and nuzzled him under his ear before he replaced the tie and began tying it from behind, watching his hands in the mirror. "Sorry. I have trouble reversing the process on someone else."

"Mm." Derek liked feeling Spencer pressed against his back, liked the kiss, liked the tickle of Spencer's hands as they deftly manipulated the fabric.

"Who else did you ever tie a bow tie for?"

"Oh, my vast legion of ex-lovers-I always had them dress formally for our assignations."

Derek cut his eyes upward. "Somehow, I don't see Tobias Hankel wearing a bow tie for any reason..."

Spencer snickered. "No, I can't either. Actually, the only time I've done this for someone else was when my dad hurt his hand and had to go to a formal dinner for his work." He kissed Derek's head and pulled the tie into perfect shape. "There. Very nice." Spencer backed up and Derek turned around and stood up. He looked elegant-if a little uncomfortable-and Spencer gave a wistful sigh. "Gorgeous, actually."

"Yeah, well." He pulled at the sleeves and brushed off a speck of lint, then gave Spencer an unhappy look. "You know, I don't want to go to this damn thing at all, but if I have to, I'd at least like to be able to take you with me."

"Well, I'd love to go, but I think Amber might be a little disappointed to hear that her leading man-slash-fiance was bringing his boyfriend to the show. Not to mention giving Damon Steinberg a heart attack on his big night."

"I think I deserve a damn acting award for faking a relationship with Amber Henley for the last eight months. She's the most vapid woman I've ever met."

"I know, and I'm proud of you. You got through the final scenes without killing her, and you handled all the publicity jaunts like a trooper. Just think-you only have to make it through one more night, then Penelope's going to send the two of you to the Ambassador Hotel to stage a big blow-up over whether or not to have a baby, then it'll all be over."

"Yeah, that's true. Now, which one of us wants to have the baby, again?"

"You do. She doesn't want to ruin her figure before her next big role comes up, and you're very frustrated because you want a big family, so after tomorrow, the wedding's off."

"Oh, yeah." He grinned slightly. "Thank God. I can just see Garcia sending me off to be fake-married in Vegas..."

Spencer nodded thoughtfully, and added, "...with Amber wearing one of those fake-baby bulges under her wedding dress..."

Derek started snickering. "And, a fake-Elvis presiding over the fake-nuptials..."

By now, Spencer was grinning, too. "And, all the reporters standing by to watch the two of you head off to a fake honeymoon..."

"...in Niagara Falls-slowly I turn!" They both cracked up, then stood shaking their heads. Spencer clapped a hand on Derek's shoulder.

"You better get going. Garcia'll freak out if you're late, and I know she'll blame me."

"Yeah, okay. Damn, this is going to be a pain in the ass."

"Oh, quit complaining. It's only for a few hours. Besides, it's got to be exciting, being up for an award. You'll get a nice meal, people will fight to interview you-and the paparazzi'll go insane over how great you and Amber look together." He tried not to let a note of bitterness creep into his voice.

Derek took him in his arms. "I hate not having you there with me. What are you going to do here all by yourself?"

"Oh, I've got big plans. I'm going to pop some delicious popcorn, pour myself a tall glass of milk, then I'll come up here to watch the show in bed. I'll boo your competitors and applaud when you win. I'll take note of who looks the most jealous and plan on sending them a gloating 'Sorry you didn't win!' card tomorrow. Then, I'll read until I conk out, and when you come home, we'll have crazy celebration sex, unless you're too drunk, in which case I'll chastise you appropriately."

"What if I lose?"

"Then, I'll throw popcorn at the TV and we'll have long, slow consolation sex. Either way, it's a good deal, in my opinion. But, you're going to win."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Easy. You're the best one."

"Now, how do you know that? You never even saw any of the other flicks."

"Don't have to-I saw you. No one else could come close."

Derek looked at his boyfriend with a combination of pure love and amazed gratitude. "Damn, baby, a minute ago I couldn't have cared less whether I won or not. Now, I want to, just for you. What are you doing to me?"

Spencer laughed. "Probably creating unnecessary conflicts in your subconscious. My apologies, if so. Now, are you sure you're completely ready?"

Derek gave an exaggerated sigh, but nodded. "I guess so." He caressed Spencer's face, kissed him again, then fixed a look of critical appraisal on him. "You really don't mind staying home all by yourself? I have a feeling that this is going to be a long evening."

"No, it's fine. Look-I went to the bookstore this afternoon, so I have plenty to keep me occupied before and after the show. And, remember the delicious popcorn? It's the perfect evening, really."

A grin found its way to Derek's face. "Great, popcorn and books. I feel like the wicked stepsister, leaving Cinderella to clean the fireplace while I go to the ball."

"Um, maybe, but Cinderella didn't have Derek-won-an-award sex to look forward to. Or, consolation sex. Either way-I get to sleep with Prince Charming, so I'm good."

"That's what I like about you, kid, you always find the bright side of any situation. All right. Well, I'm going to go downstairs-I bet Penelope will be pulling up any minute. Come here and wish me luck. I love you."

"Good luck, Derek. I love you, too." They managed to steal a passionate kiss before Garcia's distinctive car horn sounded in the driveway, and Derek reluctantly turned and headed down to meet her.


	15. Happily Ever

**A/N: All right, my loves, this is it-last chapter! And, it's a long one, too, whew. Hope you like it-it's a real fairy-tale ending, no pun intended (or maybe just a little bit, heh...) Please review!**

**Love,**

**Seds**

* * *

Spencer was comfortably curled up in bed, with a huge bowl of popcorn beside him and a large glass of milk positioned on the nightstand within easy reach. Actually-and, he hadn't mentioned this to Derek-the liquid in the glass wasn't "just milk."

Spencer had added a little sugar and vanilla to his favorite childhood beverage, then mixed in a generous amount of brandy. He'd tasted it, then added a splash more brandy and nodded his approval-definitely no longer a child's drink. He'd loaded up the popcorn bowl, grabbed his milk glass and started to head for the stairs, but after a moment's consideration, he'd grabbed the brandy bottle and stuck it in the pocket of his sleep pants.

He had no intention of watching Derek escort Amber Henley down the red carpet sober.

Back upstairs, he'd settled in and flicked on the television to find a pre-awards filler show, just in time to see Derek and Amber being interviewed by a local news reporter. Derek looked stunningly handsome, and there was no denying that Amber had an air of glamor about her as well. Spencer smiled grimly as he munched a handful of popcorn. "Hands off, bitch, he's mine," he muttered as Amber fastened herself to Derek's arm, and he threw a few kernels of popcorn at the screen.

Now, Amber was casting worshipful glances at Derek's face, but Spencer could see she was more interested in where the cameras were and who else was around them than her date, which made Spencer feel slightly better. He supposed they were lucky that Derek's co-star had been such a self-absorbed narcissist that she had managed to avoid developing a real crush on the good-looking action star, but still...

Spencer's cell phone rang; he checked the number and saw it was his mother. He punched "talk".

"Hi, Mom."

"Hello, son. Your sweetheart looks very attractive in formal wear."

"He does, doesn't he? So, you're watching?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. He's going to win, isn't he?"

"I hope so, he deserves to."

"I agree completely."

"Uh, Mom? You haven't even seen the movie."

"I know, but you told me all about it, and I feel like I've seen it."

Spencer grinned. "All right. Is Dad home?"

"Yes, and guess what-he's not going to have to travel anymore, ever."

"What? But-

"He worked something out with his boss-it means a pay cut, but he's going to be a lot happier. We both are."

"Well, that's great. I'm glad you can afford for him to do that."

"Oh, Spencer, we won't have any money worries ever again."

"You won't? Why's that?"

"Didn't I tell you? I met with that nice Damon Steinberg fellow yesterday, and-"

Spencer glanced at the phone, stunned, then put it back to his ear. "_Damon Steinberg? _You went to see Damon Steinberg?"

"Oh, good lord, no. He came here."

"Damon Steinberg came all the way out to Vegas to see you? Wow."

"Yes-and, you know, he really impressed me with his intelligence. He has a deep understanding of my work, the subtleties, the nuance. I'm sure he'll do a good job with the story, not like that idiot butcher who mangled it before."

"Mom-what the... You mean, you sold Steinberg the rights to _From Earth to Oblivion?"_

"Yes, dear, exactly."

"But-I thought you didn't want anything to do with Hollywood ever again."

"Oh, I put a lot of stipulations into it, one of which was that you're to have script approval and will act as my agent for every aspect of the production, ensuring that my wishes are carried out. And, you'll do all the publicity nonsense on my behalf."

_"What?"_

"Oh, don't worry, it's really not that big a deal. I'm sure you'll do fine. Apparently, Damon is very good friends with Leno, he's got you booked with him for two weeks from today. After that, you won't have to do any other public appearances yourself unless you want to."

"Oh, my God..." Spencer reached for the milk and took a big gulp.

"Well, I'm going to make some popcorn for your dad and me before the show starts. Best of luck to your beau-I hope he wins."

_Beau? _Spencer shook off the word and went back to the horror of what his mother was telling him. "But, Mom, I can't-Publicity? Script approval? I don't want to-"

"Now, Spencer, don't worry, Derek told me all about his friend Penelope, and I'm sure she'll be a big help to you, PR-wise. And, you certainly are familiar enough with the material to make good decisions about the script."

"Well... I guess. Okay. I'll do my best."

"I know you will, son. That's why I went along with this-I can count on you. Now, I really need to go get ready to watch the show-this is very exciting!"

"Okay. Thanks, Mom. Goodnight." Spencer hung up with a frown, and barely had a moment in which to recover from his mother's news, when the phone rang again. Spencer checked the number and downed a little more milk before answering.

"Hello, Emily."

"Don't you 'Hello, Emily' me. What the hell do you think you're doing, letting our boyfriend out of the house looking like that?"

"Um, well, first of all, he's _my_ boyfriend, remember?"

"You always have had a problem with sharing. Fine, be selfish. Why'd you let _your_ boyfriend out, looking so freakin' gorgeous? He's going to come back with hand prints and bite marks all over him."

"What was I supposed to do, take my Instamatic and go along, pretending to be one of the paparazzi? I don't think I could have pulled it off."

Emily chuckled and shook her head before responding sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Spence. The society we live in sucks. It should be you on his arm, not that red-headed bimbo."

"Well, I don't disagree with you, but that's the nature of his profession and this business. At least I know he's coming home to me."

"Yeah... Hey, you want some company? My class got canceled after all."

"Normally, I'd love to, but to tell you the truth, I'm a little depressed and I think I'd rather just stay here alone and wallow in my misery."

"Why're you depressed, honey?"

"It's just what you said-Derek goes to some big event, but I don't get to go with him. You know, he even called me Cinderella tonight. I try not to let him know how I feel, because he's already upset about it, but it's really hard, pretending all the time. And, it just keeps getting worse. Garcia won't even let us be seen together in public until after the movie goes to DVD." Spencer lifted his glass again.

"Oh, Spencer."

"Yeah. Anyway-I better go, the show's about to start. Thanks for calling, Em."

"Oh, sure. Hey, maybe things will ease up for you guys, now that the movie's out and everything."

"Well, that's a nice thought, but it's unlikely. He's already got three offers to do another big-name production, and that's without winning an award. If he gets this one tonight, he'll be a hot property for the next ten years. We'll be old men before we can so much as go out together for pizza."

"Spence-"

"Hey, it's starting. Gotta go-I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay, hon, 'bye."

"Bye, Em. Love you."

"You too, sweetie. Good luck to our man, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Spencer hung up and settled back with his drink in his hand, wondering what a life of "happily ever after" really meant in Hollywood terms.

* * *

It was three o'clock in the morning before Derek managed to get Penelope to drive him home, shiny award in hand. Penelope was positively giddy and she chattered happily for several miles before noticing that Derek was oddly quiet. She glanced over at him.

"This is what success feels like, Derek Morgan. Revel in it. Are you reveling?"

"I'm reveling."

"Well, you don't seem to be reveling at all-in fact, you're downright pouty, which is adorable, but completely inappropriate for the occasion. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, baby girl. The fact that I had six offers to do drugs, five for oral sex and three for actual intercourse before we even got inside the building was a little disturbing, but other than that, it was a killer evening. I have to hand it to you, doll-you definitely got me to the right place at the right time, and I really appreciate it. "

"Well, I had the guy with the talent and the looks to pull it off. But, really, hot stuff, you don't look happy enough to have won a big award. You ought to be borderline hysterical by now."

"Yeah, sorry-I'm tired, and I just want to get home to my boy. I missed him like crazy tonight. I really-I really wished I could have looked out into the audience and seen him." Derek's voice now sounded raw with emotion. "I mean-what's the point of being successful if the one you love can't be there to enjoy it with you?"

Penelope patted his arm. "I know, sweetie. It sucks. Maybe the two of you can sneak off out of town somewhere together for a while. Didn't you say Spencer's dad has a cabin?"

"Yeah, we were going to go there once before, then Hankel shot Spencer and kind of derailed our plans, remember? But, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm tired of living this... this fake life. Pretending to be something I'm not, denying the person I really love-"

"I don't mean to be a witch with a B, but a lot of people would be willing to put up with a lot worse. For the money you're making and the opportunity to hang around with big name stars, and-"

"I'd chuck it all in a heartbeat, if I thought Spencer was up for it. And, I could, too, now that my contract's been fulfilled."

Penelope's eyes widened. "But, Derek-you've got offers! And, now you'll have a lot more! You can do anything you want, there's so much money to be made, and-"

"I'm sorry, but I don't care about the money. I've got enough now to live modestly for years, and I can always get work teaching martial arts or something."

"But, what about me? I mean, I'm doing all right, but-"

"Now, you know good and well that your name's on all kinds of lists as an A-1 agent. You're gold, mama, I'm not a bit worried about your future."

"But, you can't possibly be thinking about giving up the movie business, not when you've just hit the big time-"

"Oh, yes, I can."

"But-"

"Relax, angel, I'm just thinking about it right now-but, it's a real possibility."

Penelope was quiet for a moment, then she asked, "What did you mean, if Spencer was up for it?"

"I don't know... I just don't think he's as committed to this relationship as I am. He won't even move in with me, did you know that? I'm afraid..." Derek stared out the car window, watching the boulevard whiz by. "I'm afraid I'm not what he really wants in a partner. I don't read books, I don't know anything about science or astrophysics, or-"

"Spencer's crazy about you, idiot. I don't know why I'm stupid enough to say this, because it's apparently not in my best interest, but-he loves you. Don't doubt it, sweetness. I can tell, and I'm always right about these things."

Derek smiled slightly and looked down at his award. He'd only gotten to talk to Spencer for a few minutes on the phone after he'd won, but he'd heard the excitement and pride in his voice. Maybe Pen was right. Maybe he just needed to decide... what it was he really wanted.

"Yeah, you are. Okay. Well, we'll just have to see what happens next, huh?"

Pen shrugged and the car zipped along until they arrived at Derek's home. He planted a kiss on her cheek, hugged her, and waved the award triumphantly in the air as farewell. She waggled her fingers at him and gave him a big smile.

"Goodnight, Mr. Award-Winner. Congratulations!"

"'Night, Pen! Couldn't of done it without you, babe!"

Garcia watched him disappear into the mansion, then glanced up at the lighted window that she knew to be his bedroom. She shook her head, backed out of the drive, and headed for home.

* * *

The light was on in the bedroom, but Spencer was sound asleep, curled in a ball among the pillows, with spilled popcorn all around him-he must have cheered when Derek won-and an empty milk glass on the nightstand. Derek grinned as he bent down to kiss him, but the strong whiff of alcohol wiped the grin off his face. He picked up the glass and took a sniff, then saw the empty brandy bottle on the floor by the bed. He shook his head.

He didn't want this. Spencer should have been by his side tonight, not alone at home, drinking. He sighed, then headed to the bathroom to get undressed.

He returned a few minutes later, and Spencer stirred. "Derek?" he asked groggily.

"It's me, babe." He brushed the popcorn from the bed then slipped in under the covers beside Spencer. "How was your evening?" He pulled him into his arms and kissed him deeply, tasting brandy on his lips.

"Okay." Spencer kissed back, then looked up at Derek proudly. "You won." His words slurred a little.

"Yeah."

"Knew you would. How did it feel?"

"Kind of good. Amazing, to tell you the truth. But-I missed you so bad. I wish you'd of been there with me."

"Yeah... Missed you, too." Spencer cuddled into his arms and whispered, "So... Celebration sex...?"

Derek pulled him closer and kissed his forehead. "Not just now, baby. I'm pretty tired. Let's just sleep, okay? We'll get after it in the morning."

"'Kay." Spencer sounded as if he were already asleep, but he added, "Proud of you, Derek. Love you."

"Love you too, pretty boy." Derek pulled the covers up over them and tried to forget the insanity of the evening, the lights glaring into his eyes from the stage, the throngs of people wanting his attention, the noise. He focused on following the rhythm of Spencer's even breathing, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, Derek's cell phone jangled them awake. He groaned and Spencer whimpered in pain. "Make it stop, Derek," he pleaded.

Derek was no happier about the intrusion than Spencer. "Aw, man-I got no place I have to be today, who the hell-" He almost threw the phone across the room, but Spencer caught his hand before he could let go.

"Oh, God, no! That'll really make noise. Just answer it," Spencer mumbled, closing his eyes and pulling the covers over his head.

"Yeah, well..." Derek blearily checked the number, then clicked the phone on. "Penelope-what in God's name do you want?"

"Morning, sunshine! Wow, you sound grumpy. But, what a night, huh? How are you feeling?"

"Like I need to sleep another five or fifteen hours."

"Nah, you need to wake up and listen. I want you alert for this."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! It's good news-Damon Steinberg wants you to star in _From Earth to Oblivion!"_

"Huh? What? _From Earth-_hey, I'm putting you on speaker. Spence, come out of there, listen to this. Now, what did you say?"

Penelope repeated her news, and Spencer slowly emerged from under the covers, eyes widened. "Huh? Wow..."

"That's your mom's novel, isn't it? She sold the rights after all?" Derek asked, and Spencer nodded, suddenly remembering the conversation with his mom from the night before. He wondered if she'd included offering Derek the right of first refusal among her stipulations.

Derek took a deep breath. "Well, damn. That's pretty exciting..."

Garcia squealed (making Spencer flinch painfully) before continuing. "Oh, baby, it's fantastic! And-guess what?"

"I can't guess, just tell me."

"Damon says he's always detected an undercurrent of homosexual energy in the lead male role, and he's going to write him that way!"

"What?"

"Yeah-so, if you come out publicly, it won't be that big a deal! Some people will think it's just a publicity stunt, others'll embrace you for it, and Damon's willing to risk losing the rest of the audience, because, turns out he's gay, too! At the age of 63, he's finally decided to come out, isn't that wild? So, he wants to make a big splash out of it and be the first director to have a big-budget action flick featuring a gay leading man. Cool, huh?"

Derek and Spencer looked at each other. Derek spoke softly.

"Yeah, Pen, that is cool. But, listen, I don't know-I have to talk to Spencer about all this."

"But-"

"I'll call you later." He hung up and he and Spencer sat quietly for a moment, feeling stunned. Then, Spencer took Derek's hand and gave him a worried look.

"Wow, Derek-if we thought the publicity machine was vicious before, this one'll really... grind you up and spit you out."

Derek nodded. "And, you won't escape it, either."

"Yeah. Plus, my mom wants me involved in all the scrip consultation, and publicity, and-"

Derek put a hand on his shoulder. "We can't do this," he said gently.

"What do you mean?"

"Spencer-I don't want this. I don't want... any of it. The money, the public scrutiny, the crazy schedule, what it's doing to you, to us-it's all a bunch of BS, real people don't live like that."

Spencer smiled tentatively. "Well-what _do_ you want?"

Derek pursed his lips for a moment. "I want to wake up next to you every single morning for the rest of our lives. I want to grow old with you, I want to... I don't know, live a normal life with you. Have a home, a dog, maybe even a kid someday-go to the store, visit our parents, do something useful with my life-all without wondering what kind of stupid-ass picture's going to show up in the tabloids the next day." Derek was delighted to see that Spencer was brightening. "And, what do you want, babe?"

"I want all of that, too. I want to teach and study, then come home to you at the end of the day and just... be with you. That's all I want, Derek. You, and a normal life, out of the public eye."

"That means no more Hollywood."

"No more Hollywood is fine with me."

"Where could we go?"

Spencer grinned. "We could head to my dad's cabin for a while. Just to clear our heads, make some plans. Believe me, it's as far away from the Hollywood lifestyle as you can get."

"I'm in. When can we go?"

"I'll have to work something out at school. Plus, apparently, I have to do _The Tonight Show_ in two weeks."

For the first time in twenty-four hours, Derek laughed. _"The Tonight Show? _Oh, my God. All right, two weeks. That'll give me time to deal with this house and to put my stuff in storage."

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks until we disappear."

"Off the grid."

"Out of sight..."

"...out of mind." The two looked at each other as they grasped the full magnitude of what they were considering, then Derek raised an eyebrow.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"Now, I'm ready for celebration sex."

Spencer sighed. "You do realize I'm hung over, don't you?"

"I can celebrate alone, if necessary."

"Oh, come on-if you let me get some aspirin and another hour's sleep, I'll be good to go." He put his hand on Derek's arm and squeezed. "I don't want you celebrating without me. Please?"

Derek smiled. "Okay, kid. I can wait."

* * *

Two weeks later, Spencer was a charming guest on the Tonight Show. He then dispensed with his PR duties as quickly as possible, putting the rest into Garcia's capable hands. Over the course of the next year, he handled the script process mostly by fax and email from a cafe in the little town below his dad's remote mountain cabin. Eventually, the final version of his mother's story crystallized into everything she'd hoped it would be.

Derek Morgan did not appear in the picture.

For a while, he was too busy learning to fish, to chop firewood and pump water from a well, and Spencer called him his rugged mountain man. Later, Derek became fully occupied with getting running water and indoor plumbing made available as he and Spencer built the house of their dreams a little further up the mountain.

For a while, the press went crazy, trying to figure out what had happened to the handsome action star, Derek Morgan. Some deduced that he'd had a nervous breakdown and had been committed to some psych facility in Las Vegas. Others said he'd bought a tiny island in the Caribbean and was living on the beach. Still others speculated that he'd died in a car wreck on Highway 41, right down from where James Dean met his own tragic fate, but there was never any confirmation to that effect.

In reality, Derek immersed himself in building their home and becoming a part of the small, close-knit mountain community, where no one cared who you were or who you loved, as long as you paid your taxes and didn't bring a lot of unwanted attention to their town.

Both Derek and Spencer were very careful not to do that.

_

* * *

Three years pass... _

Derek punched in a code at the security gate leading to the road that took him home. As always, his heart lightened as he drove the winding path and saw the structure containing everything he loved within it. He parked, strode up the walkway and entered the house, leaving his job as county sheriff at the door, but before he could even remove his hat, an exasperated demand emanated from up the stairway.

"Derek Morgan, thank God. I need you-now!" Spencer's voice had a note of desperation in it.

"All right, babe, I'm coming-what's going on?"

"I want you to see what your son did!"

Derek slipped the gun out of the holster on his shoulder and placed it in a locked safe box by the door before heading upstairs. When he got to the top, he stopped short at the sight before him.

"Oh, no." Derek broke out laughing-his son, Nicholas, the adorable product of insemination between him and Penelope two and a half years earlier, had gotten hold of a can of shaving cream and had decorated the hallway with intricate patterns and swirls. Spencer had the foam-covered child in his arms and Derek couldn't help but laugh even harder as he noticed the cream was on Spencer's chin and in his hair.

Spencer was not amused.

"And, we just got this painted after the crayon disaster. Could you take him and clean him up, please?" Spencer pressed a kiss into his son's curly dark hair, then held him out to Derek. Nicholas was now frantic to get to his father, screaming "Poppeee!" and attempting to dive-bomb his way into Derek's waiting arms. Derek carried him off to the bathroom and started a bath.

Spencer cleaned himself up, then knelt down to begin wiping away the half-dried mess from the wall, continuing the conversation as he worked.

"What the hell are we going to do when Olivia starts walking?" Olivia was their nine-month old daughter, still sleeping soundly in her crib. She was the precious result of in vitro fertilization between Spencer and Emily.

(Garcia had volunteered to carry the child for them, as she'd found she liked being pregnant; plus, she'd learned to use her delicate condition as an edge when negotiating terms on behalf of her many clients, and she had made it clear that she was available next time the guys wanted to increase their little brood. Not that that was looking too likely at this point.)

Derek grinned. "How about we hire a nanny? I've been telling you-"

"Oh, no, I'm not paying a stranger to raise our babies. I'll just have to give up working, is all." Spencer had been teaching evening classes at the local branch of the University of Idaho campus.

"But, you love teaching."

"I do, but I'm ready for a break. I can always go back to it when they're older."

"Well, that's fine, we can afford it."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah. Between movie and DVD residuals and my cut of the _Cherenkov _franchise-did I tell you that they're making it into a Saturday morning cartoon?-neither of us will ever have to work again. My baby girl Garcia knew what she was doing when she hammered out those contracts." It amused Spencer that it was now necessary for Derek to distinguish between his actual baby girl and his beloved friend.

"Well, that's good to hear. And, if I have any empty hours, ha ha, I'll just work on my book."

"Yeah, it's taking long enough. Damon Steinberg's chomping at the bit, but there's only one person deemed worthy of writing the sequel to _From Earth to Oblivion_, and that's you."

"Well, if he complains, I'll take Nick to his office and remind him of what it's like dealing with a toddler."

Derek emerged from the bathroom with a freshly-bathed little boy and clean clothes on himself. Just then, the security system announced a vehicle at the gate, and Derek frowned.

"Now, who the hell could that be?"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember? Pen and Emily are coming for the weekend. And, each one claims she has a surprise for us. I don't mind telling you, I'm scared." Spencer went down to remotely open the gate, then watched from the door until a black SUV pulled up. Spencer turned to go back inside and announced, "They're here!"

Derek and Nick came down, and in a moment, the house was ringing with Garcia's laughter, Nick's squeals of excitement, and Emily's cheerful criticism of the decor.

"Oh, my God, you actually have wagon wheel furniture. You've got to be kidding."

"What's wrong with it? It's really comfortable."

Emily shook her head. "My poor little biological daughter. She's going to grow up thinking cowboy kitsch is normal."

Garcia hmph'd. "How do you think my biological son is going to feel, growing up with a gosh-darn mountain in his back yard? And to think, he could have had a marble swimming pool, like any normal movie star's child."

"I'm no movie star, Pen. Not any more." Derek gave her a warm kiss on the cheek, and Penelope whacked him on his bottom. Derek playfully yelped.

"Hey, now, respect the daddy-"

"Am I in the right place?" A deep male voice sounded from the foyer.

"Who's that?" Derek asked.

"My surprise!" Garcia chortled happily. "In here, sweetheart!"

Aaron Hotchner entered the room, carrying bags. He ruefully gave a nod toward Derek and Spencer.

"Hello."

"Sweetie, you remember Derek and Spencer. This is their son, Nicholas, and this is Emily Prentiss, Spencer's friend from college."

"Gentlemen. Miss Prentiss."

"Call me Emily. And, you are?"

Garcia squeezed Aaron's arm. "This is my boyfriend, Aaron Hotchner. He's head of the Legal Department for Damon Steinberg Productions."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hotchner-Garcia, I had no idea you'd landed yourself a lawyer," Emily teased.

"We met over a contract," Aaron said with a fond smile. "By the time we finished wrangling the terms, I was in love."

"He had me at 'twelve month exclusive,'" Garcia added dreamily.

Spencer and Derek exchanged grins, then Spencer asked, "Where's _your _surprise, Em?"

"Mine is getting our bags out of the car. Let me see if I can hurry him up."

Everyone glanced at each other, then they moved to look out the window. Both Spencer and Derek gasped as the surprise toted his and Emily's bags to the front porch.

"Hello, everyone!" The hearty voice of FBI agent Dave Rossi boomed through the foyer. He set the bags down as he entered the house and put his arm around Emily's shoulders.

"Agent Rossi!" Spencer was stunned.

"Damn, Prentiss, how did you two get together?" Derek asked.

Dave took the question himself. "I had the amazing opportunity to interview the delectable Miss Prentiss while I was working on the Hankel case. I was so glad when it was over and I could ethically pursue the lady of my dreams in style. And, pursue her I did." He nuzzled Emily's neck and she gave a girlish giggle, then whispered to Spencer, "Isn't he adorable? We're getting married next month!"

"Oh, Em, that's... fantastic!"

"And, guess what?" Garcia happily patted her tummy. "We just found out that we're going to have a little bundle of our own, aren't we, Aaron?" Garcia cast a devoted look at the tall man beside her, and the stern expression on his face melted. Aaron nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "Yes-and, we were thinking of getting married next month, as well."

Derek pulled Spencer into his arms. "Damn, all this marriage talk is giving me ideas. I think we need to make a trip to Iowa, what do you think, babe?"

Spencer looked at Derek in amazement. "You're asking me to marry you?"

"Yeah." He hugged Spencer. "About time, wouldn't you say?"

Spencer nodded and a heart-stopping smile spread across his face. "Yes, I would say so. I love you, Derek."

"I love you, too, sweet boy." He gave Spencer a warm kiss and whispered in his ear, "I'll take you to town and make a proper proposal later, okay, baby?"

Spencer nodded happily and turned back to the group. Emily looked at Dave. "You know, I can't think of a more beautiful setting for a wedding than this place, can you, Dave? Guys? Do you think we could have our wedding here?"

"Sure-what about you, Pen? You and Aaron want to use the Idaho wilderness as the backdrop for your ceremony, too?"

Garcia shook her head firmly. "No way, hon. We're going to Vegas. I need glitz for my big day. Right, honey?"

Aaron gave her a stoic nod. "Whatever you want, dear."

"Well, that'll give my mom an excuse to baby sit, so she'll love that," Spencer mused.

"Excellent." Derek looked at the baggage surrounding them. "How about we show you guys to your rooms and give you a chance to rest up from your drive? Spence, what are we doing about dinner?"

"I've got a huge roast in the oven, and-"

Just then, a baby's cry burst from upstairs and Emily's eyes widened. "My little princess! Come on, Dave, I want you to meet Olivia-she's going to have my looks and Spencer's brains, and Derek's going to teach her how to shoot guns and do self-defense techniques. She's going to be a super-hero!"

* * *

Later, everyone was seated at the large rustic dining table that Derek had made by hand. Spencer got the meal on the table, then sat back and looked around him. A swell of happiness rose in his chest, and he had to close his eyes for a moment as he thought of all the things he had to be thankful for.

His dear friends had found someone to share their lives. His mother had found a new treatment program and was slowly beginning to venture out of her house-and she and William had begun a new phase of their lives together.

Spencer was the father of two amazing children that he loved more than he'd ever imagined it was possible to love someone.

And, Derek. The man who made his life complete-his prince, his co-star, his mountain man-was soon to be his husband. Derek must have felt the warmth of Spencer's smile because he turned to him and squeezed his hand before giving him a loving kiss. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Spencer Reid."

"Me, too, Derek. Me, too." Little Olivia chortled in excitement, and Spencer began cutting up vegetables for her to eat. Derek took Nick on his lap to help him focus on his dinner instead of tormenting Rossi, and the conversation turned to Hollywood and all the news of the town Derek and Spencer had left behind.

They couldn't have cared less, but it was fun to hear the stories. Later that night, they settled into bed together and talked wedding plans before nestling into each other's arms to make love. A cold Idaho wind blew fiercely, thwarted in its efforts to invade their warm, secure house.

Once they'd settled down to sleep, Spencer caressed Derek's face. He was tired, but looking forward to the next leg of this extraordinary adventure the two of them had begun, following a chance meeting on a Hollywood sound stage. He knew leaving had been the right thing to do, but...

"Derek?"

"Mm?"

"Any regrets?"

Derek forced one eye open. "Regrets? About what?"

"Giving up your acting career. Leaving Hollywood."

"Oh, hell, no. I'm right where I want to be, right where I belong. Home with my babies-all three of 'em." Derek smiled at him, then gave him a kiss. "Now, stop running that incredible brain of yours and get some sleep. The girls want to go hiking tomorrow, and I just know we're going to end up having to rescue Garcia from a bear or something."

Spencer nodded and closed his eyes, thinking of possible excuses he could use to get out of a hiking trip. He supposed taking care of a baby and a toddler would do...

* * *

The three couples all had their weddings within a few weeks of each other, then everyone ended up in Vegas for a blow-out party at the senior Reid's house.

And, afterward?

They all lived happily ever after.

-The End-


End file.
